Z3I7 
H7AZ 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THREESCORE  AND  TEN 


1.  Boyhood   Days  ;    II.    Reminiscences    of 

school  experiences  from  twenty 

to  seventy-two 


BY 


J.    W.    HOOPER 


SYRACUSE,    N.    Y. 

C.  W.  BARDEEN,  PUBLISHER 
1900 


Education 
Library 

M 


nto 

NOTE  BY  THE  PUBLISHER 


I  have  known  Mr.  Hooper  for  more  than 
twenty-five  years.  During  this  time  his  work 
has  been  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Syracuse, 
and  I  have  seen  him  frequently,  in  school  and 
out.  He  is  not  only  a  man  of  scrupulous  verac- 
ity, who  would  cut  off  his  right  hand  sooner  than 
make  an  intentional  mistatement,  but  he  is  also 
characteristically  methodical  and  accurate, — as 
likely  as  any  man  I  ever  knew  to  be  exact  in 
his  memory  of  incidents  that  happened  even 
fifty  years  ago. 

This  narrative  therefore  seems  to  me  of  decided 
historical  value.  Many  of  the  incidents  here 
given  he  had  told  me  from  time  to  time,  and  it 
was  at  my  suggestion  that  he  gathered  here 
these  reminiscences  of  a  long,  an  honorable,  and 
a  useful  career.  There  are  few  living  men  able 
to  give  us  truthful  pictures  of  the  school  and 
home  life  of  half  a  century  ago,  and  the  com- 
munity  should  be  grateful  to  Mr.  Hooper  for  thus 
putting  on  record  much  that  otherwise  would 
have  been  forgotten  and  lost. 

C.  W.  BARDEEN 

Syracuse,  April  21,  1900 

(5) 

881628 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Early  Years,  1827-1837 9 

II.  An  Interrupted  Journey,  1838 13 

III.  A  Long  and  Hungry  Tramp,  1838....  17 

IV.  Asa  Brickmaker,  1839-1847 20 

V.  My  First  School,  1847 24 

VI.  A  Case  of  Discipline,  1847 27 

New  York  Country  Life  in  1847 29 

VIII.  In  Business  Again,  1847 34 

IX.  The  Waterbury  District,  1847-9 36 

X.  Another  Case  of  Discipline,  1849 41 

XL  Tobacco  in  School,  1852 48 

XII.  In  Various  Schools,  1853-1872 50 

XIII.  A  School  Commissioner,  1873-8 54 

XIV.  Teachers  Associations 57 

XV.  Principal  at  Solvay,  1879-1884 60 

XVI.  Final    Experiences    as    a    Teacher, 

1884-9 62 

XVII.  Attendance  and  Tardiness 65 

XVIII.  Whispering 69 

XIX.  Corporal  Punishment 71 

XX.  Responsibility  of  the  Teacher 74 

(7) 


Three  Score  and  Ten  Years  in  Eetrospect 


CHAPTER  I 
EARLY  YEARS,  1827-1837 

I  was  born  in  Livingston  County,  N.  Y.,  July 
5,  1827. 

My  parents  both  died  before  I  was  eight  years 
old.  I  found  a  home  with  a  cousin  in  St.  Law- 
rence county.  I  think  my  cousin  was  a  good 
man ;  but,  unfortunately  for  me,  I  soon  fell  into 
disfavor  with  his  wife,  who  seemed  to  improve 
every  opportunity  to  make  my  life  unpleasant. 
Two  incidents  will  be  sufficient  to  indicate  some- 
thing of  the  means  to  which  she  resorted. 

My  cousin  was  in  the  habit  of  making  from 
one  to  two  thousand  pounds  of  maple  sugar 
every  spring,  and  on  account  my  faithful  work 
he  had  promised  me  the  last  run  of  sap  for  my 
own.  I  should  gather  it,  boil  it  down  to  syrup, 
take  it  to  the  house,  his  wife  would  convert  it 
into  sugar,  the  sugar  should  be  sold  and  all  the 
money  should  be  mine. 

I  think  I  never  experienced  more  pleasure  than 
during  the  two  weeks  that  followed,  in  building 

9 


10  EARLY  YEARS,  1827-1837 

air  castles  and  contemplating  what  I  would  buy 
with  the  money  that  would  come  from  the  sale 
of  that  sugar.  I  gathered  the  sap,  boiled  it 
down,  and  found  myself  in  possession  of  two 
buckets  full  of  nice  maple  syrup.  I  put  my 
neck-yoke  on  and  carried  the  syrup  carefully 
half  a  mile  to  the  house.  It  was  put  into  an 
iron  kettle,  the  kettle  was  hung  on  the  crane 
and  swung  into  its  place  over  the  kitchen  fire. 
Through  neglect  of  my  cousin's  wife  it  was 
boiled  too  long.  It  was  burned  and  worthless ; 
and  my  air  castles  fell  to  the  ground. 

The  family  had  received  an  invitation  to  a  pig 
party  to  be  given  at  a  neighbor's  house  that  eve- 
ning. Pig  parties  were  quite  common  in  St. 
Lawrence  county  in  those  days.  Whenever  a 
pig  was  killed  the  neighbors  were  invited  in  to 
eat  fresh  pork.  It  was  thought  best  for  me  to 
remain  at  home  and  look  after  the  fire.  The 
sugar  had  been  turned  from  the  kettle,  but  quite 
a  little  was  left  on  its  sides,  and  I  thought  I 
would  scrape  the  kettle  and  eat  a  little  burned 
sugar.  Getting  an  iron  spoon  I  scraped  off  a 
good  spoonful  and  put  it  into  my  mouth.  Judge 
of  my  surprise  and  indignation  when  I  realized 
that  the  woman  who  had  just  burned  up  my 
sugar  had  sprinkled  fine-cut  tobacco  over  the 
sides  and  bottom  of  the  kettle.  I  survived,  but 
for  an  hour  I  was  very  sick. 


MY  Co  IJSIN '  s  WIFE  AND  PAILS  OF  WATER    1 1 

It  was  a  part  of  my  regular  work  to  bring 
water  for  washing  from  a  brook  nearly  half  a 
mile  away.  So  on  a  Monday  morning  I  donned 
my  neck-yoke  and  went  for  water.  Filling  the 
pails  and  staggering  under  the  heavy  weight, 
it  was  only  after  frequent  resting  that  I  reached 
the  house.  As  I  passed  through  the  gate  I 
noticed  my  cousin's  wife  at  the  wash-tub  in  the 
yard.  Before  I  reached  where  she  was,  I 
stumbled  under  the  heavy  load,  and  as  I  fell 
much  of  the  water  dashed  over  me.  Before  I 
had  time  to  rise  to  ray  feet  a  heavy  blow  on  the 
side  of  my  head  knocked  me  back  on  the  ground, 
and  after  having  my  ears  well  boxed,  the  neck- 
yoke  was  put  (not  very  gently)  upon  my  shoulders 
and  I  was  ordered  back  after  water.  I  went 
back  to  the  brook,  sat  the  pails  carefully  down  on 
the  bank,  laid  the  neck-yoke  across  them,  and 
skipped  across  the  lots,  crying ;  and  I  have  ever 
since  imagined  those  pails  still  standing  by  the 
brook,  and  my  cousin's  wife  turned  into  a  pillar 
of  salt,  standing  by  her  \\ash-tub  in  the  yard, 
waiting  for  the  water. 

I  was  now  ten  years  old,  and  I  wish  right  here 
to  ask  the  young  boys  and  girls  who  may  read 
this  st-ory  a  few  questions.  Do  you  appreciate 
your  home  ?  Do  you  know  what  it  is  to  have 
kind  friends  who  are  interested  in  your  education 
and  your  success  in  life?  Do  you  have,  down 


12  EARLY  YEARS,   1827-1836 

deep  in  your  heart,  a  pure,  lasting,  devoted, 
tender  love  for  the  precious  mother,  who  is 
spending  her  life  in  trying  to  build  you  up  in 
character  and  make  of  you  true,  loyal  girls  and 
boys,  who  shall  reflect  honor  upon  your  parents 
and  friends  ?  I  knew  none  of  these  privileges, 
but  I  had  endured  enough  from  my  cousin's 
wife ;  and  while  she  was  waiting  on  that  Monday 
morning  for  me  to  come  with  the  water,  I  was 
getting  several  miles  away,  seeking  for  another 
place  to  live. 


CHAPTER  II 
AN  INTERRUPTED  JOURNEY,  1838 

I  succeeded  in  finding  a  place  where  I  could 
work  for  my  board  and  go  to  school.  This  was 
a  good  home,  and  I  think  I  received  as  good 
treatment  as  I  deserved,  for  I  imagine  I  was 
becoming  a  tough  boy. 

About  a  year  later,  while  in  my  eleventh 
year,  a  change  seemed  to  come  over  me.  I  began 
to  have  some  desire  to  obtain  an  education, 
I  became  uneasy,  I  wanted  something,  and 
could  not  tell  what.  About  this  time,  at  a  pro- 
tracted meeting,  I  experienced  religion  and  united 
with  the  Baptist  church  at  Sprague's  Corners,  on 
the  line  of  Jefferson  and  St.  Lawrence  counties. 

Although  I  tried  to  live  a  religious  life,  I  was 
not  satisfied.  This  feeling  of  discontent  grew 
upon  me  until  on  the  10th  day  of  November, 
1838,  at  about  8  o'clock  in  the  evening,  I  put  a 
few  articles  of  clothing  into  a  handkerchief,  tied 
it  up  and  went  out  into  the  darkness.  I  have 
never  forgotten  that  long,  dark,  dreary  night. 
I  was  naturally  timid,  and  frightened  at  every- 
thing I  saw.  The  country  was  then  compara- 
tively new  and  the  forests  contained  many  wild 

(13) 


14          AN  INTERRUPTED  JOURNEY,  1838 

animals ;  yet  I  was  impelled  to  go  on  by  some  irre- 
sistible will-power.  I  was  thinly  clad,  but  that 
same  Hand  that  helped  me  amid  greater  dangers 
in  the  near  future  sustained  and  kept  me  alive  on 
that  cold  November  night. 

I  had  no  thought  of  turning  back.  When  I 
came  to  the  deep  forests,  I  would  start  on  a  run 
and  never  lessen  the  speed  until  I  had  reached 
the  open  country. 

On  the  morning  of  the  llth  of  November  I 
hired  out  to  a  farmer  somewhere  near  Carthage 
in  Jefferson  county.  I  was  to  husk  corn  a 
month,  for  which  I  was  to  receive  five  dollars 
and  my  board.  I  fulfilled  my  contract,  took  my 
five  dollars,  went  to  Sacketts  Harbor,  and,  after 
buying  me  a  pair  of  shoes  and  some  mittens,  I 
paid  the  rest  of  my  money  for  a  passage  on  a 
steam  boat  to  Rochester,  intending  to  go  to  my 
uncle's  home  at  Bergen  Corners,  Genesee  county. 

Soon  after  leaving  port,  December  12,  we  were 
struck  by  a  storm  of  wind  and  snow  that  seemed 
for  a  time  to  threaten  the  destruction  of  the 
boat.  All  day  the  captain  tried  to  reach  port  at 
Oswego,  which  he  succeeded  in  doing  at  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  was  told  that  the 
boat  would  go  no  farther  for  several  days,  as  it 
needed  to  be  repaired. 

I  soon  noticed  that  the  fires  were  burning 
down,  and  the  lights  were  being  extinguished. 


A  SOLEMN  EESOLUTION  15 

I  started  up  street  in  the  city,  hoping  that  I  might 
find  some  place  to  keep  warm. 

At  about  ten  o'clock  that  night  I  stood  upon 
the  platform  of  a  public  house  in  Oswego.  And 
my  young  friends,  that  was  the  grandest  plat- 
form that  I  ever  stood  upon!  My  feet  never 
stood  in  a  place  more  sacred !  I  believe  the  spirit 
of  my  Christian  mother  was  right  beside  her 
boy !  I  believe  an  angel  was  hovering  over  me ! 

The  lights  in  the  public  house  had  been  ex- 
tinguished. It  was  intensely  cold.  My  clothes 
were  frozen  from  the  water  that  had  swashed 
upon  me  while  on  board  the  boat  in  the  terrible 
wind.  The  snow  was  blowing  around  me.  I 
had  eaten  no  dinner,  no  supper.  I  had  no  money, 
and  not  a  friend  to  go  to.  I  had  reached  a  crisis 
in  my  life!  I  was  afraid  I  should  freeze. 

As  I  stood  there  in  the  darkness,  these  words 
came  to  me  with  great  power.  I  do  not  know 
whether  I  spoke  in  an  audible  voice  or  not,  but 
I  said,  "  I  will  earn  an  honest  living,  and  I  will 
perish  before  I  will  beg. ' ' 

I  started  at  once  for  the  boat.  I  tried  door 
after  door  and  found  them  locked.  I  finally 
opened  a  door  leading  down  a  dark  gang- way. 
Feeling  for  a  door  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  I 
opened  into  the  sailor's  cabin.  They  had  a  warm 
room,  had  their  table  spread,  and  were  playing 
cards.  They  noticed  that  I  was  nearly  frozen, 


16          AN  INTERRUPTED  JOURNEY,  1838 

and  recognizing  me  as  a  passenger  on  board  the 
boat,  they  gave  me  a  warm  berth. 

In  the  morning,  I  went  to  the  captain,  told 
him  my  circumstances,  reminding  him  that  I 
had  a  ticket  from  Sacketts  Harbor  to  Rochester, 
and  as  the  boat  was  to  be  laid  up  for  repairs  I 
thought  he  should  pay  me  back  a  part  of  my 
money.  The  only  satisfaction  that  I  received 
was  the  privilege  of  riding  to  Rochester  if  I 
waited  until  the  boat  went. 

It  had  now  been  twenty-four  hours  since  I 
had  tasted  food,  but  I  had  no  more  thought  of 
asking  for  a  meal  than  I  had  of  cutting  one  of 
my  fingers  off. 


CHAPTER  III 
A  LONG  AND  HUNGRY  TRAMP,  1838 

I  said  to  myself,  ' '  I  cannot  wait  for  the  boat, 
for  I  shall  famish  here,  and  I  can  but  perish  if  I 
go  afoot. ' '  Not  expecting  anything  to  eat  until 
I  should  reach  my  uncle's  house,  ninety  miles 
away,  yet  believing  that  I  should  in  some  way 
get  through,  I  pushed  out  into  the  wind  and 
snow. 

I  was  now  suffering  intensely  for  want  of 
food.  In  passing  an  orchard  a  little  out  of  the 
city,  I  saw  a  cluster  of  apples  hanging  from  the 
limb  of  a  tree.  I  soon  found  that,  although 
frozen  like  rocks,  they  were  not  decayed.  I 
filled  my  pockets  and  went  on  my  way.  I  think 
I  will  not  say  what  my  experience  was  in  eating 
those  frozen  apples,  but  I  will  say  that  I  had  not 
one  morsel  of  food  from  about  thirty  hours  be- 
fore I  left  the  city  of  Oswego  until  I  reached  my 
uncle's  house  at  Bergen,  excepting  frozen  apples 
that  I  found  in  the  orchards  as  I  travelled  along 
the  roads. 

A  little  after  dark  that  night  as  I  was  passing 
a  country  tavern  I  noticed  a  ladder  reaching  to 
a  hay-loft  over  the  shed.  I  climbed  the  ladder, 

(17) 


18 

and  burying  myself  as  deep  as  I  could  in  the 
hay  I  slept  soundly  until  morning.  Watching 
my  opportunity  to  get  on  the  street  without  be- 
ing seen,  I  commenced  my  second  day's  tramp. 

The  strongest  temptation  that  I  had  during 
my  journey  to  break  my  pledge  and  ask  for 
something  to  eat,  was  at  the  noon  hour  that  day. 
The  weather  had  cleared  up  and  a  farmer's  fam- 
ily were  eating  their  dinner.  The  sun  was  shin- 
ing a  little  warm,  and  the  kitchen  door  was  open. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  I  would  be  willing  to  take 
off  the  only  coat  I  had  and  give  it  for  a  meal. 
I  was  famished  for  something  to  eat.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  I  must  have  food  or  I  should  perish. 
I  said,  ' '  I  will  go  to  the  open  door  and  ask  for  a 
drink  of  water;  perhaps  they  will  ask  me  to 
eat."  I  received  my  glass  of  water  but  no 
further  invitation ;  and  I  went  on  my  way. 

I  will  say  right  here  that  during  the  forty  years 
that  I  sat  at  my  own  table  no  person  ever  came 
to  my  door  hungry  but  he  was  fed.  It  made  no 
difference  whether  he  was  drunk  or  sober,  filthy 
or  otherwise.  If  I  believed  he  was  hungry,  he 
had  something  to  eat ;  and  I  have  never  seen  the 
time  when  I  would  not  be  willing  to  go  without 
my  own  dinner  to  feed  even  a  hungry  dog. 

My  second  day's  experience  was  much  like  the 
first.  After  it  had  become  dark,  so  no  one  would 
see  me,  I  crept  into  a  straw  stack  in  a  farmer's 


AMONG  FRIENDS  AT  LAST  19 

barn-yard,  and,  covering  myself  as  best  I  could, 
I  knew  no  more  until  morning.  I  was  on  the 
street  before  day-light,  as  I  was  sure  if  I  was 
found  in  the  man's  barn- yard  I  should  be  arrested 
and  sent  to  jail. 

I  have  never  been  able  to  tell  much  of  my  third 
day's  journey.  I  have  no  recollection  of  having 
any  desire  for  food.  I  passed  through  Eochester, 
went  to  the  depot,  and  was  directed  to  the  rail- 
road track  leading  through  Churchville  and  near 
to  Bergen  Corners.  I  imagine  that  I  travelled 
that  seventeen  miles  in  less  time  than  any  other 
seventeen  miles  in  my  three  days  journey. 

I  received  a  warm  welcome  at  my  uncle's, 
where,  I  was  afterward  told,  I  arrived  about  nine 
o'clock.  They  soon  discovered  that  I  was  sick. 
A  doctor  was  called  and  I  was  forced  to  teU  them 
that  I  had  been  four  days  without  food. 

Under  the  kindest  of  care  I  speedily  recovered, 
and  as  soon  as  proper  clothes  could  be  procured 
I  was  sent  to  school.  I  spent  the  winter  pleas- 
antly and  was  happy  in  my  school  work.  The 
school  closed  in  April  and  I  told  my  uncle  that  I 
was  going  to  find  work.  He  said :  ' '  Why  not 
stay  here,  there  is  plenty  of  work  here."  I  re- 
plied :  ' '  No,  I  started  out  to  earn  my  living 
among  strangers  and  I  am  going. ' ' 


CHAPTER  IV 
As  A  BRICKMAKER,   1839-1847 

I  was  now  twelve  years  old,  and  started  out 
the  third  time  to  face  the  world  alone, — seeking 
for  a  home.  But  I  was  comfortably  clad  and 
had  money  in  my  pocket. 

Just  at  night  on  that  day  I  engaged  to  a  man 
to  make  brick  at  nine  dollars  a  month.  I  was 
located  a  little  north  of  Albion,  Orleans  county. 
This  was  destined  to  be  my  home  for  a  number 
of  years.  I  boarded  with  my  employer  and 
went  to  school  in  the  winter;  and  as  the  brick 
making  season  lasted  but  about  six  months  of  the 
year,  I  had  a  long  time  to  go  to  school.  I  rapidly 
came  to  the  front  as  a  brick  burner,  and  in  a  few 
years  was  receiving  seventy-five  dollars  a  month 
and  my  board. 

I  remained  with  this  man  five  years,  when  I 
was  offered  such  inducements  to  take  charge  of 
a  large  manufactory  in  Geneva  that  I  was  obliged 
to  accept.  I  remained  in  Geneva  two  seasons, 
going  back  to  my  old  school  in  the  fall. 

I  was  now  in  my  twentieth  year  and  I  had  a 
great  desire  to  go  back  and  visit  the  scenes  of  my 
early  boyhood, — to  go  into  the  old  log  house  from 
which  I  went  out  into  the  darkness  on  that 
November  night  eight  years  before.  I  will  say 

(20) 


THE  SPORT  OF  FIFTY  YEARS  AGO          21 

that  I  kept  clear  of  that  other  place,  where  I 
got  my  ears  boxed,  for  fear  I  should  see  that 
woman  standing  by  her  wash-tub,  and  she  would 
want  to  know  where  those  pails  of  water  were. 

I  had  been  at  my  old  home  but  a  day  or  two 
when  I  received  application  from  a  board  of 
trustees  to  teach  their  winter  school.  I  said,  yes ; 
if  I  can  get  a  certificate.  As  they  wanted  the 
school  to  begin  the  next  Monday  they  told  me 
to  go  on  with  the  school  and  they  would  see  the 
town  superintendent  about  the  license.  A  few 
days  later  I  received  my  license  and  the  school 
went  on  all  right. 

Before  speaking  of  my  experience  as  a  teach- 
er, I  would  like  to  review  that  part  of  my  life 
from  fourteen  to  twenty  years.  I  want  the 
young  men  and  the  young  ladies  who  may  read 
this  book  to  realize  that  I  am  drawing  a  truth- 
ful portrait  of  my  life  from  the  age  of  nine  years, 
when  I  commenced  to  paddle  my  own  canoe,  un- 
til I  was  twenty.  I  would  not  try  to  leave  an 
impression  that  I  was  all  goodness,  as  I  grew  up 
to  young  manhood,  that  I  was  very  meek,  that 
I  never  did  anything  wrong,  that  I  was  down  in 
the  corner  by  the  fireplace  every  evening  study- 
ing my  lessons. 

Oh !  no !  no !  Such  a  nature  as  mine  could  not 
remain  quiet.  If  there  was  mischief  going  on 
in  the  neighborhood  I  knew  it  and  was  in  it, 


22  As  A  BRICKMAKER,  1839-1847 

and  I  never  fetched  up  in  the  rear.  If  a  couple 
were  married  they  must  have  a  serenade.  If  a 
young  man  went  to  visit  his  lady-love  he  usually 
realized  when  he  started  to  go  home  that  the  boys 
had  been  around.  Bern  ember  that  this  was  more 
than  fifty  years  ago,  and  many  things  that  were 
thought  little  of  then  would  be  ail  wrong  now. 

As  I  remember  it  now,  we  were  somewhat 
wild,  yet  I  believe  there  was  a  gentlemanly  prin- 
ciple manifested  in  our  lives.  We  knew  when 
it  was  time  for  fun  and  when  it  was  time  to  be 
quiet  and  gentlemanly  in  our  deportment. 

As  to  our  habits,  the  society  in  which  I  mingled 
used  to  play  cards,  and  I  soon  become  so  fascin- 
ated with  the  game  that  I  would  rather  play 
cards  all  night  than  to  sleep.  One  night  I  retired 
at  an  early  morning  hour,  and  before  sleeping  I 
thought  the  matter  over  and  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  I  was  a  fool  to  spend  my  nights  in 
card  playing,  and  become  so  excited  over  the 
game  that  I  could  not  sleep  even  after  I  retired. 
I  finally  said  to  myself  "  I  will  never  play  another 
game  of  cards  in  my  life. ' '  And  I  never  have. 

Again  I  was  carried  away  with  what  we  call 
now  "yellow  covered  literature",  or  cheap 
novels.  I  do  not  condemn  novel  reading.  It  is 
the  low,  trashy,  simple,  love-sick  stories  that 
are  flooding  the  most  of  our  news-rooms  and  fly- 
ing all  over  the  land,  that  I  condemn.  This  is 


NOVEL-READING  23 

the  kind  of  reading  that  will  be  selected  by  most 
of  our  young  people  if  unrestrained  by  their 
parents;  a  kind  of  reading  that  weakens  the 
intellect  and  destroys  a  taste  for  histories  or 
other  solid  reading.  This  is  the  kind  of  reading 
that  I  enjoyed;  and  on  a  certain  night  after 
reading  until  near  the  morning  hour,  before 
sleeping  I  came  to  my  senses,  and  said  to  my- 
self, "  I  will  never  read  another  love-sick  novel 
in  my  life. ' '  And  I  never  have. 

Many  years  ago  I  saw  advertised  and  heard 
much  said  of  "  Roderick  Hume",  a  novel  writ- 
ten and  published  by  C.  W.  Bardeen  of  Syracuse. 
I  said,  it  is  a  novel  and  I  do  not  care  to  read  it ; 
and  it  was  only  a  fe  .v  years  ago  that  I  was  in- 
duced to  read  it.  I  will  say  that  my  prejudice 
against  the  reading  of  a  certain  kind  of  novels 
vanished.  I  think  I  was  made  a  better  man  and 
a  better  teacher  by  the  reading  of  that  book, 
first  by  its  clearness  and  freshness;  second  by 
the  simplicity  and  purity  of  the  language;  and 
third  by  the  plot  itself,  so  entertaining,  so  natural, 
so  true  to  life.  Just  what  one  would  expect 
would  happen  comes  to  pass  all  the  way  through. 

Parents,  see  that  each  of  your  girls  and  boys 
has  a  library  case,  and  let  it  be  gradually  filled 
with  the  latest  and  best  standard  books.  Your 
children  will  grow  not  only  into  a  habit  of  read- 
ing but  into  a  habit  of  reading  good  literature. 


CHAPTER  V 

MY  FIRST  SCHOOL,  1847 

Now,  my  friends,  let  me  take  you  back  fifty- 
two  years  to  a  little  log  school-house  a  few  miles 
from  Antwerp,  in  Jefferson  county,  near  the 
line  of  St.  Lawrence  county,  where  I  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  my  first  school.  My  wages 
were  fourteen  dollars  a  month,  and  I  was  to 
hoard  around. 

This  boarding  around  was  jolly  fun  if  one  en- 
joyed it ;  but  I  confess  I  did  not  enjoy  it  as  well 
as  perhaps  some  others  would.  For  instance, 
the  schoolmaster  was  a  very  distinguished  indi- 
vidual ;  he  must  have  the  best  the  house  afforded, 
and  at  bed  time  he  was  ushered  into  the  spare 
room  off  the  parlor,  with  a  zero  atmosphere. 
We  had  good  board  and  a  plenty,  consisting 
largely  of  rye-and-indian  bread,  good  butter, 
potatoes,  pork  or  mutton,  boiled  cider  apple 
sauce,  and  delicious  mince  pies. 

The  school-house  was  comfortable.  Wherever 
the  chinking  between  the  logs  had  become  loose 
mud-mortar  had  been  used  to  plaster  it  up,  and 
every  crevice  had  been  closed.  A  large  open  fire- 
place graced  one  side  of  the  room.  Pegs  had 

(24) 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  FIFTY  YEARS  AGO          25 

been  driven  into  the  logs;  and  slabs  reversed, 
reaching  around  three  sides  of  the  room,  served 
as  desks.  Slabs  with  pegs  driven  in  for  legs 
made  pretty  good  seats  and,  of  course,  the  pupils 
sat  facing  the  wall,  an  advantage  to  the  teacher 
that  the  modern  school-room  does  not  afford. 

We  had  plenty  of  good  hard  wood  and  lots  of 
back-logs.  The  wood  was  cut  four  feet  long, 
and  in  preparing  it  from  the  tree  a  length  would 
often  be  found  so  knotty  that  it  would  not  split 
easily  and  it  was  saved  for  a  back-log.  A  log 
four  feet  long  and  from  ten  to  fifteen  inches  in 
diameter  was  something  of  an  affair  to  handle. 
But  the  teacher  with  the  help  of  the  boys  could 
usually  manage  it,  and  the  log  was  placed  at  the 
back  of  the  fire-place,  where  it  would  last  in 
cold  weather  about  a  week.  The  fire  was  built 
in  front  of  the  log,  and  the  wood  was  held  in 
place  by  large  andirons. 

Now  for  the  school.  I  found  myself  sur- 
rounded on  Monday  morning  by  forty  or  forty- 
five  as  bright,  as  intelligent-looking  a  class  of 
boys  and  girls  as  I  have  I  have  ever  met  in  school. 

I  thought  those  young  women,  some  of  them 
as  old  as  their  master,  dressed  in  their  home- 
made plaids,  were  perfectly  beautiful,  and  I  have 
never  had  reason  to  change  my  mind. 

I  am  unable  to  find  a  full  list  of  the  books  in 
use.  I  find  the  Old  English  reader,  Daboll's 


26  MY  FIRST  SCHOOL 

arithmetic,  Webster's  speller,  and  Kirkham's 
grammar.  I  do  not  remember  to  have  used  any 
geography.  Our  writing  books  were  composed 
of  several  sheets  of  fools-cap  paper  folded  and 
sewn  together  by  the  mother  or  sister,  and  the 
master  was  expected  to  set  the  copies  and  mend 
the  goose-quill  pens.  I  think  there  was  no  chart 
or  map  of  any  description  in  the  school-room. 
All  from  seven  years  old  up  were  expected  to  read, 
write,  spell,  and  cipher  from  the  same  text-book. 
The  school  was  organized  and  ready  for  work. 
I  think  I  never  felt  more  proud  than  when  stand- 
ing at  my  little  home-made  table  in  about  the 
centre  of  the  room,  surrounded  by  that  class  of 
boys  and  girls.  And,  think  of  it,  they  called  me 
master !  And  I  was  their  teacher. 


CHAPTER  VI 
A  CASE  OF  DISCIPLINE,  1847 

I  never  felt  more  confidence  in  my  ability  to 
teach  a  school.  I  never  felt  less  concern  regard- 
ing the  discipline.  I  knew  I  could  manage  the 
school,  for  I  could  see  intelligence  in  nearly 
every  countenance  and  knew  the  children  were 
subject  to  discipline  at  home,  and  must  know 
what  gentlemanly  and  lady-like  deportment  was. 

But  there  are  exceptions  in  nearly  all  schools. 
The  trustee  had  told  me  that  there  was  one  boy 
who  would  give  me  trouble,  and  that  they  would 
probably  have  to  turn  him  out,  as  they  did  not 
think  I  could  manage  him.  They  said  he  was 
very  quarrelsome,  and  was  fighting  the  other 
boys  every  few  days. 

Of  course  I  knew  who  the  boy  was.  We 
had  a  few  days  of  quiet,  which  gave  me  an  op- 
portunity to  study  his  character,  and  also  to 
study  the  character  of  one  or  two  others. 

I  noticed  that  this  "  bully  ",  as  he  was  called, 
was  a  large,  somewhat  green,  good-natured  boy, 
disposed  to  mind  his  own  business  if  let  alone. 
I  also  noticed  that  he  was  the  butt  of  the  jokes 
of  two  or  three  others,  who  lost  no  opportunity 
to  annoy  him.  One  in  particular  seemed  to  be 
the  leader  in  making  game  of  him. 

(27) 


28  A  CASE  OF  DISCIPLINE 

I  allowed  the  matter  to  go  on,  knowing  it 
would  come  to  a  focus.  This  happened  one  day 
during  the  noon  hour,  when  human  endurance 
could  stand  it  no  longer.  Thomas  went  at  those 
three  boys,  and  the  result  was  they  got  so  thor- 
oughly whipped  that  they  begged  to  be  let  up ; 
and  they  came  into  the  school  room  with  what  I 
supposed  had  been  their  usual  complaint,  that 
Tom  had  been  pounding  them. 

At  the  usual  time  I  called  the  school  to  order 
and  told  Thomas  to  rise.  He  stood  up.  Now  I 
believe  nearly  every  one  in  that  room  had  sym- 
pathy for  him,  and  they  believed  he  was  going  to 
be  punished,  as  he  had  been  before  on  similar 
occasions.  While  Thomas  stood  at  his  seat  I 
told  the  other  three  boys  to  step  out  on  the  floor, 
and  I  went  at  that  ring-leader  of  the  three  with 
a  good  hickory  ruler.  When  I  was  through 
with  him,  he  had  promised  to  obey  every  rule  of 
the  school.  I  then  said  to  Thomas :  "  If  this  boy 
annoys  you  any  more,  if  he  insults  you  until 
you  cannot  endure  it  any  longer,  you  go  at  him 
again  and  give  him  a  good  whipping,  and  when 
he  comes  in  I  will  give  him  another.  Between 
you  and  me  I  think  we  can  teach  him  to  mind 
his  own  business  and  let  you  alone.  You  are  all 
excused. ' ' 

Discipline  was  established  and  there  was  no 
more  occasion  for  punishing  during  the  four 
months  that  I  taught  that  school. 


CHAPTEE   VII 
NEW  YORK  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  1847 

As  to  social  enjoyment,  I  have  never  been 
with  a  class  of  school  boys  and  girls  who  loved 
fun  better  than  they,  and  I  have  never  known 
a  class  who  could  get  more  enjoyment  out  of  a 
twenty- minute  recess  or  the  noon  hour  intermis- 
sion. The  character  of  the  games  was  some- 
times a  little  questionable,  but  as  they  never  tres- 
passed upon  morality  I  seldom  interfered. 

The  snow  lay  for  many  weeks  from  three  to 
four  feet  deep  on  a  level.  Many  a  morning 
when  the  snow  was  drifting  on  arriving  at  the 
school-house  I  was  obliged  to  shovel  the  snow 
away  from  the  windows  to  let  in  light.  I  have 
never  seen  such  perseverance  manifested  in  get- 
ting to  school  under  difficulties.  Many  times 
when  it  was  impossible  for  teams  to  get  through 
the  drifts,  I  have  seen  twelve  or  fifteen  boys  and 
girls  coming  from  different  directions,  wallow- 
ing in  Indian  file  through  the  snow.  Of  course 
they  were  all  dressed  for  the  occasion  and  I  do 
not  know  that  one  of  them  ever  took  cold. 

I  will  now  give  you  a  sample  of  a  noon-time 
exercise.  There  was  a  series  of  meetings  being 
held  a  few  miles  away,  and  great  interest  was 

(29) 


30         NEW  YORK  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  1847 

manifested.  Many  of  the  older  pupils  attended. 
It  became  quite  common  for  them  to  advertise  a 
meeting  of  their  own  to  be  held  at  a  certain 
stump  some  distance  from  the  school-room,  at 
the  noon  hour.  Nearly  or  quite  all  of  the  older 
pupils  would  hasten  to  eat  their  dinner,  and 
away  they  would  go  to  attend  the  meeting.  The 
minister  would  mount  the  stump  and  conduct  as 
regular  a  prayer  meeting  as  one  ever  attended. 
At  the  end  came  the  speaking,  and  usually  some 
one  had  experienced  religion  and  must  be  bap- 
tized. The  whole  congregation  then  moved  out 
a  little  into  the  deeper  snow  and  the  candidate 
was  as  formally  immersed  in  snow  as  ever  one 
was  in  water.  Everything  was  conducted  in  an 
orderly  way,  and  to  some  I  think  it  was  real. 

About  once  a  week,  when  the  weather  and 
going  were  suitable,  we  must  have  a  spelling 
school,  or  we  must  visit  some  other  spelling 
school  held  in  one  of  the  surrounding  districts. 

I  remember  on  one  occasion  we  had  received 
an  invitation  to  a  spelling  school  over  the  hills, 
about  three  miles  away.  Two  of  the  young  men 
put  their  teams  together,  a  four-horse  rig  waited 
at  the  school-house,  and  we  were  soon  climbing 
that  immense  hill. 

We  had  just  had  our  January  thaw.  In  the 
midst  of  the  thaw  the  weather  suddenly  became 
very  cold ;  and  as  a  result  a  thick,  strong,  slippery 


A  SLIDE  WITHOUT  SLEDS  31 

crust  was  formed  on  the  snow.  Just  over  the 
brow  of  the  long  steep  hill  we  found  the  sleigh 
tracks  led  into  the  field,  as  the  drifts  in  the  road 
had  not  been  shovelled  out.  Our  team  was  a  lit- 
tle fractious,  and  as  we  turned  into  the  field  the 
sleigh,  with  its  load  of  forty  girls  and  boys 
went  over  upon  the  crust,  on  the  lower  side.  As 
I  said,  the  crust  was  very  steep  and  slippery  and 
we  were  helpless.  There  was  nothing  for  us  to 
do  but  to  go  to  the  foot  of  that  hill  as  gracefully 
as  we  could.  A  few  lodged  against  the  stumps, 
two  or  three  reached  the  street  fence,  but  nearly 
all  fetched  up  in  the  valley  below. 

Reader,  did  you  ever  ride  down  hill  with  the 
girls  without  a  handsled  ?  It  is  jolly  fun  to  ride 
with  them  on  a  handsled,  but  I  tell  you  it's  a 
hundred  times  jollier  to  ride  without  one.  The 
girls  won't  generally  ride  with  you  if  you  have 
no  handsled,  but  on  this  occasion  they  were 
rather  obliged  to,  by  force  of  circumstances.  It 
might  be  a  point  to  be  settled  in  such  condition 
whether  it  would  be  proper  for  you  to  sit  in  the 
girl's  lap  or  for  her  to  sit  in  yours,  but  in  our 
case  there  was  not  much  time  to  discuss  that 
matter,  so  we  each  chose  our  own  position; 
some  went  feet  first,  some  went  head  first,  and 
some  took  it  sidewise.  The  main  thing  was  to 
keep  going,  which  I  assure  you  we  did. 

I  won't  trouble  you  with  a  detailed  account  of 


32         NEW  YORK  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  1847 

our  tribulations  in  climbing  that  hill  to  where 
our  sleigh  was  waiting.  We  climbed  mostly  in 
couples.  Occasionally  a  couple  would  drop  out 
of  sight,  we  would  see  a  descending  streak  in 
the  darkness,  and  presently  they  would  land  at 
the  bottom.  But  finally  we  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  sleigh,  but  the  time  was  reported  as 
quarter  past  nine  and  it  was  voted  that  we  go 
home. 

One  more  incident,  a  result  of  boarding  round, 
will  close  the  history  of  my  first  winter  of  teach- 
ing school. 

We  usually  spent  a  week  in  a  place  and  I  spent 
a  week  with  a  family  where  I  found  six  young 
children.  The  family  seemed  quite  poor.  The 
little  log  house  had  three  rooms  on  the  first  floor, 
kitchen,  parlor,  and  bedroom  and  of  course,  I 
occupied  the  bedroom.  The  second  floor  was 
composed  of  loose  boards  laid  down  but  not  fas- 
tened. They  had  warped  so  that  some  of  them 
seemed  to  rest  almost  on  their  edges.  In  fact 
there  was  little  to  prevent  one  in  the  lower  room 
from  seeing  into  the  upper  or  from  the  upper 
room  into  the  lower.  It  seemed  to  me  that  all 
of  those  six  children  occupied  the  room  directly 
over  mine. 

But  presently  we  all  settled  down,  and  the 
snoring  indicated  that  the  household  were  asleep. 
I  rested  well,  but  tribulation  came  in  the  morn- 


BOARDING  AROUND  33 

ing.  I  had  placed  my  boots  in  a  convenient 
place  on  the  floor,  and  laid  my  socks  carefully 
on  the  boots.  I  was  somewhat  surprised,  as  I 
was  about  to  draw  on  my  socks,  to  find  they 
were  wet ;  and  also  that  water  had  leaked  into 
my  boots.  I  said,  u  Surely  it  must  have  rained 
in  the  night,"  and  the  roof  leaking,  the  water 
has  dripped  clear  down  through  onto  my  boots. 
'  *  Queer !  Queer !  Queer !  "  I  said  to  myself,  and 
stepping  to  the  window  I  could  see  no  appearance 
of  its  having  rained. 

I  drew  on  my  socks,  but  very  soon  learned 
that,  as  the  boots  fitted  a  little  tight,  I  could  not 
draw  them  on  over  wet  socks ;  so  I  put  the  socks 
into  my  pocket,  drew  on  the  boots,  went  out  to 
breakfast,  went  to  the  school-house,  readjusted 
my  socks  and  boots,  and  was  ready  for  the  day's 
work.  I  will  say  that  the  weather  was  dry  all 
the  rest  of  the  week  and  as  I  took  the  precau- 
tion to  put  my  boots  under  the  bed  every  night, 
they  were  always  dry  in  the  morning. 

Oh  my  friends !  It  is  fun  to  board  round  if 
you  enjoy  it. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
IN  BUSINESS  AGAIN 

In  the  spring  of  1847  I  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  E.  B.  Hinsdell,  to  make  brick. 
We  were  located  about  three  miles  north  of 
Salina  on  the  Brewerton  plank  road,  at  what 
was  then  called  the  Old  Log  Cabin  place.  It  was 
at  this  time  that  I  made  the  mistake  of  my  life. 
I  should  have  chosen  teaching  as  my  profession 
and  fitted  myself  for  it,  but  I  could  not  see  that 
teaching  was  my  work ;  or  rather,  I  would  not 
see  it,  for  I  think  it  was  clearly  made  known  to 
me  that  I  ought  to  finish  my  education,  thus 
fitting  myself  for  teaching.  I  could  earn  high 
wages  during  a  part  of  the  year,  and  put  the 
rest  of  my  time  into  college  work,  and  in  a  few 
years  come  out  a  college  graduate.  I  knew  this, 
but  my  ambition  to  get  money  overcame  my 
desire  for  a  higher  education. 

For  a  few  years  I  made  money,  but  there  came 
a  time  when  I  realized  my  mistake.  I  had  con- 
tracted for  the  delivery  of  large  quantities  of 
building  brick  in  Syracuse,  and,  with  ten  labor- 
ing men  in  my  employ,  not  one  of  whom  knew 
anything  of  burning  brick,  I  was  taken  sick  from 

(34) 


IN  BUSINESS  AGAIN  35 

overwork,  and  did  not  recover  until  near  the  end 
of  the  brickmaking  season.  On  looking  about 
after  my  recovery  I  found  the  few  thousand  dol- 
lars that  I  had  saved  had  been  swept  away, 
and  I  was  broken  in  health  and  poor. 

But  I  was  not  standing  alone.  My  noble  wife, 
who  had  come  to  me  two  years  before,  stood  right 
at  my  side ;  and  her  words  of  encouragement,  her 
•comforting  influence,  her  Christian  confidence 
and  trust  in  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well,  be- 
came an  inspiration  to  me.  I  realized  that  He 
in  whom  I  thought  I  trusted  knew  better  than 
I  what  I  ought  to  have  done  when  I  refused  to 
follow  my  impressions  of  duty. 

I  will  say  before  closing  this  chapter,  that  we 
were  content  to  start  again  at  the  foot  of  the 
ladder,  and  by  prudence,  industry,  and  continu- 
ous climbing,  in  a  few  years  we  found  ourselves 
in  comfortable  circumstances  again. 


CHAPTER   IX 
THE  WATERBURY  DISTRICT,   1847-9 

It  is  the  design  of  this  narrative  to  deal  more 
particularly  with  matters  relating  to  my  school 
experience.  So  I  will  ask  you  to  go  back  with 
me  to  the  fall  of  1847,  when  I  contracted  to  teach 
my  first  school  in  Onondaga  county.  This  school 
is  situated  about  one  mile  north  of  Liverpool  in 
the  town  of  Clay.  We  called  it  the  Waterbury 
district. 

The  next  thing  after  securing  a  school  was  to 
get  a  license  to  teach  it.  I  thought  if  the  trus- 
tees would  only  be  so  kind  as  to  get  a  license  for 
me,  as  they  did  over  in  Jefferson  county,  it  would 
be  very  convenient ;  but  teachers  cannot  always 
rely  upon  trustees  to  procure  their  certificates 
for  them,  so  it  was  evident  to  me  that  I  would 
have  to  face  the  fire  alone. 

I  learned  that  the  town  superintendent  for  the 
town  of  Clay  was  Dr.  J.  F.  Johnson,  and  that  he 
lived  at  Clay  Corners,  six  miles  away.  I  knew 
by  the  name  that  he  was  a  very  learned  man, 
and  a  doctor  too !  I  wondered  how  many  medi- 
cal questions  he  would  ask  me,  and  how  much  I 
would  have  to  know  of  physiology  and  hygiene, 

(36) 


GETTING  A  TEACHER'S  LICENSE  37 

Then  I  knew  there  was  another  word  connected 
with  physiology  but  could  not  remember  it.  I 
knew  it  referred  to  the  cutting  up  of  the  body 
after  a  person  is  dead.  I  hoped  he  would  not  ask 
me  about  that  word. 

I  started  very  early  in  the  morning  after  put- 
ting a  lunch  in  my  pocket,  as  I  supposed  the  ex- 
amination would  last  all  day,  and  perhaps  two 
or  three  days.  I  could  walk  six  miles  in  those 
days  in  about  as  short  a  time  as  a  horse  would 
travel  that  distance,  so  I  went  on  foot. 

I  found  the  doctor  at  the  store  and  made  known 
my  errand.  After  we  had  talked  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  he  said  we  would  go  over  to  his  office. 
On  arrival  there  he  told  me  to  be  seated  and  he 
would  return  in  a  few  minutes,  and  I  soon  saw 
him  in  his  gig  driving  down  the  street.  I  waited 
nearly  an  hour  for  his  return. 

To  say  I  was  angry  would  hardly  express  it. 
I  had  come  six  miles  almost  on  a  run  to  begin 
my  examination  early,  so  that  I  might  finish 
and  get  home  before  dark.  Nearly  two  hours  had 
already  passed  and  the  examination  had  not 
commenced. 

But  the  doctor  soon  came  into  the  office,  filled 
and  lighted  his  pipe,  asked  me  if  I  would  smoke, 
and  began  a  conversation  on  matters  and  things 
in  general  which  lasted  about  thirty  minutes. 

He  was  then  called  to  some  other  part  of  the 


38         THE  WATERBURY  DISTRICT,  1847-9 

house,  and  I  was  left  to  wonder  for  another  half 
hour  why  the  examination  did  not  commence. 
At  length  he  returned,  and  after  refilling  and 
lighting  his  pipe  he  sat  down  to  his  desk  and 
commenced  to  write.  Again  I  said  to  myself, 
why  don't  the  old  fool  begin  the  examination  ? 
At  the  expiration  of  about  five  minutes  he 
handed  me  a  paper,  saying  he  was  satisfied  that 
I  could  teach  that  school.  That  was  my  certifi- 
cate. The  examination  was  ended  while  I  was 
waiting  for  it  to  begin. 

I  started  to  go,  when  the  doctor  said,  "  Oh, 
no,  our  dinner  is  just  now  ready,  and  we  must 
have  some  dinner  before  you  go." 

I  think  if  I  had  lived  where  it  was  practicable, 
I  would  have  employed  Doctor  Johnson  as  my 
family  physician  all  the  rest  of  my  life ! 

I  was  living  at  the  old  log  cabin  on  the  Brew- 
ester  plank  road,  and  on  Monday  morning  I 
started,  armed  with  my  certificate  according  to 
law,  for  my  school.  I  had  never  seen  the  school- 
house,  and  you  may  imagine  my  disappointment 
when  I  found  a  little  dingy  building,  so  old  that 
it  had  settled  into  the  ground  and  the  clapboards 
were  dropping  off.  The  squeaky  old  door  was 
not  locked,  and  I  opened  it  and  entered  in. 

A  better  state  of  things  existed  inside.  I 
found  a  good  stove,  and  plenty  of  good  wood  in 
the  woodshed.  The  desks  were  fastened  to  the 


THE  SCHOOLHOUSE  BURNED  39 

wall  and  there  were  pretty  good  benches  for 
seats.  Some  pictures,  maps,  and  charts  hung 
on  the  walls  and  altogether  the  old  house  looked 
better  inside — much  more  encouraging. 

In  referring  to  the  registry  of  that  year  I  find 
that  seventy-four  pupils  were  crowded  into  that 
little  school-room.  I  have  never  taught  a  school 
that  was  easier  to  manage.  The  Dunham,  Price, 
Weller,  Vickery,  Fullerton,  Waterbury,  Moshell, 
and  Green  families  were  represented  by  pupils 
who  gave  character  to  the  school,  and  the  disci- 
pline took  care  of  itself. 

No  marked  event  occurred  to  interfere  with 
the  school  until  eight  days  before  the  end  of  the 
term.  A  number  of  district  meetings  had  been 
held  to  make  arrangements  for  a  new  school- 
house,  but  had  failed  to  get  a  favorable  vote. 
An  adjourned  meeting  was  to  be  held  on  a  Fri- 
day evening.  On  the  afternoon  of  that  same 
day  a  little  girl  jumped  up  and  cried:  "  Oh!  the 
school  house  is  on  fire!  "  Not  a  boy  in  that 
room  would  bring  a  pail  of  water.  The  school 
was  called  to  order,  the  pupils  were  admonished 
to  gather  all  their  books,  and  by  the  tap  of  the 
bell  they  marched  out  in  perfect  order.  Thus 
ended  my  first  winter  school  in  Onondaga  county. 

During  the  summer  the  trustees  came  over 
and  purchased  brick  for  a  new  school-house. 
The  present  building  was  built,  and  I  had  the 


40        THE  WATERBURY  DISTRICT,  1847-9 

pleasure  of  teaching  my  second  winter  in  the 
new  house. 

Perhaps  the  reader  would  like  to  know  more 
of  my  experience  in  boarding  round.  I  will  say 
I  came  to  enjoy  it  pretty  well.  I  had  little  diffi- 
culty in  finding  boarding  places.  I  was  in  the 
habit  of  sending  word  about  the  middle  of  the 
week  that  I  would  like  to  board  with  a  certain 
family  next  week.  Usually  it  was  all  right. 
Sometimes,  however,  I  would  be  requested  to 
wait  a  couple  of  weeks  until  they  had  killed  their 
hogs;  or  "  until  the  beef  critter  was  killed  ",  but 
usually  if  they  were  out  of  meat  they  would 
kill  a  sheep,  and  buck-wheat  cakes  with  plenty 
of.  mutton  and  mutton  gravy  made  pretty  good 
living. 


CHAPTER  X 
A  CASE  OF  DISCIPLINE,  1849 

One  instance  of  discipline  in  my  third  year's 
experience  is  perhaps  worth  telling.  My  school 
was  at  Podunk.  A  large,  fine  class  of  girls  and 
boys  greeted  me  on  Monday  morning  but  I  soon 
learned  that  it  would  require  strong  discipline  to 
hold  those  girls  and  boys  to  such  order  as  I 
wanted  and  would  have  in  my  school. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  in  those  days 
teachers  were  expected  to  fight  their  way  in 
maintaining  order,  more  than  they  are  now. 
The  first  questions  that  came  into  the  minds  of 
the  boys  as  they  came  into  the  room  on  the  first 
day  of  school,  and  looked  upon  the  teacher  the 
first  time,  were,  How  tall  is  he  ?  How  much 
does  he  weigh  ?  Can  we  handle  him  ?  They 
made  no  allowance  for  moral  force.  It  was  only 
physical  strength  that  they  feared.  I  labored 
under  great  disadvantage,  through  being  small 
of  stature  and  low  in  the  scale  of  avoirdupois. 

Now  I  would  not  be  understood  to  say  that 
all  the  boys  in  that  school  were  ready  to 
thrash  the  teacher  if  he  did  not  behave  according 
to  their  ideas  of  propriety.  There  were  young 

(41) 


42  A  CASE  OF  DISCIPLINE,  1849 

men  there  who  came  to  school  to  learn,  and 
whose  influence  and  sympathy  were  with  the 
teacher.  It  is  the  few, — three  or  four  or  five, 
who  clique  together  in  opposition  to  the  teacher 
— that  sometimes  give  trouble. 

School  had  been  organized,  lessons  were  as- 
signed and  I  began  to  call  the  classes,  when  a 
tall  boy  on  the  back  seat  rose  and  said,  ' '  May  I 
go  out  ?  "  I  said  ' '  No ;  we  shall  have  our  recess 
in  ten  minutes ;  please  wait  until  recess. ' '  He 
sat  down  but  in  about  a  minute  rose  and  said, 
"  I'm  goin'  out,"  and  started  for  the  door. 

I  was  in  the  back  part  of  the  room  but  about 
three  jumps  carried  me  to  the  door,  and  with  my 
back  against  it,  I  faced  him  as  he  stood  about 
six  feet  in  front  of  me.  I  stood  a  moment  try- 
ing to  get  his  eye,  but  you  never  can  get  the  eye 
of  a  coward.  I  finally  said,  "My  friend,  you 
never  will  go  out  of  this  school-room  alive  until 
I  let  you  go.  You  go  to  your  seat. ' ' 

Do  you  think  he  went  to  his  seat  ?  He  knew 
very  well  that  he  could  push  me  aside,  open  the 
door  and  go  out.  Do  you  think  I  feared  him  ? 
I  had  no  more  fear  of  him  than  I  would  have  of 
a  ten-year-old  boy.  I  was  as  sure  that  he  would 
go  to  his  seat  as  I  was  that  I  was  standing  at 
that  door.  With  no  hesitation  whatever  he 
turned  about  and  went  to  his  seat  and  the  school 
went  on.  Surely  moral  force  is  stronger  than 


WILL  THAT  COUNTS,  NOT  WEIGHT          43 

physical,  but  in  cases  of  emergency,  I  have 
found  it  necessary  to  have  on  hand  a  supply  of 
both  of  these  virtues. 

The  school  had  been  going  on  quietly  for  some 
days  when  at  the  boys'  recess  in  the  forenoon  an 
old  fashioned  tin  dinner-horn  was  tooted  out  in 
the  yard.  I  stepped  to  the  window  and  saw  it 
in  the  hands  of  my  friend  William.  I  opened 
the  window  and  said,  "  William,  come  into  the 
school-room."  With  a  terrible  oath  he  refused 
to  come  in  for  me  or  anybody  else.  I  will  here 
say  that  this  is  the  only  instance  in  all  of  my 
experience  in  teaching,  that  a  pupil  refused  to 
mind  me,  or  to  do  what  I  told  him  to  do  in  con- 
nection with  the  order  of  school. 

As  we  all  occupied  the  same  yard,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  have  separate  recesses.  So  I  rapped  on 
the  window  for  the  boys  to  come  in,  that  the 
girls  might  have  their  recess.  All  came  in  but 
William,  who  remained  standing  in  the  yard 
near  the  front  gate,  evidently  not  inclined  to 
come  in,  or  to  leave  the  school  ground. 

Now  here  was  a  dilemma !  A  pupil  standing 
in  the  yard,  and  refusing  to  leave  it,  and  time 
for  the  girls  to  have  their  recess.  Fellow  teach- 
ers, what  would  you  have  done  under  those  cir- 
cumstances ?  The  young  man  was  nearly  six 
feet  tall,  heavier  and  stonger  than  I,  and  I  knew 
he  could  handle  me  if  he  should  get  hold  of  me, 


44  A  CASE  OF  DISCIPLINE,  1849 

and  yet  I  was  as  sure  that  boy  would  come  in  as 
I  was  that  I  was  teaching  that  school.  He  was 
a  large,  strong  boy,  yet  I  knew  I  could  make  six 
motions  to  his  one.  I  stepped  out  at  the  rear 
door  and  said,  "  William,  you  must  go  into  the 
school-room. ' '  I  received  for  reply  a  number  of 
strong  oaths  with  a  flat  refusal. 

I  was  not  as  well  acquainted  with  school-law 
then  as  I  am  now,  and  did  not  know  as  I  had  a 
right  to  go  into  the  street  for  the  boy,  for  I  be- 
lieved he  would  run.  But  the  law  was  of  small 
account  to  me  then ;  that  boy  was  going  into  the 
school-room.  I  started  for  him  and  he  did  run, 
but  his  runniDg  was  of  small  account  for  I  could 
run  two  rods  to  his  one  and  soon  came  up  to  him. 
Before  he  had  time  to  think  what  I  was  after, 
my  two  hands  had  a  good  grip  in  his  hair,  he 
was  doubled  over  with  his  head  about  two  feet 
from  the  ground  and  was  trotting  toward  the 
school-house.  He  did  not  get  his  head  higher 
until  we  were  inside,  and  I  went  at  him  with  a 
good  ruler.  When  I  let  him  up,  it  was  after  he 
had  promised  to  obey  every  rule  of  my  school, 
never  to  be  saucy  to  me,  and  never  to  use  an- 
other profane  word  on  that  play-ground.  He 
went  to  his  seat  peaceably  and  at  noon  came  to 
me  and  very  civilly  asked  if  he  might  go  home. 
Knowing  he  was  in  no  condition  to  study  I  said, 
"  Yes."  I  have  not  given  this  boy's  full  name 


THE  TRUSTEES  SUSTAIN  ME  45 

but  will  say,  his  father  kept  the  Old  Eed  Tavern 
about  one  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Podunk. 

Three  of  the  most  noted  places  on  that  street 
were  Podunk,  Owl's  Head,  and  the  Old  Eed 
Tavern.  I  was  obliged  to  pass  the  Old  Red  Tav- 
ern in  going  home.  In  the  middle  of  the  street 
I  was  met  by  the  father  of  the  boy  and,  leaving 
out  the  profanity  and  the  threats,  I  listened  to 
a  very  eloquent  lecture,  in  which  he  assured  me 
that  he  would  have  me  in  the  penitentiary  be- 
fore the  next  night.  I  listened  attentively,  and 
without  making  reply  passed  on.  I  imagine 
that  I  did  not  have  much  appetite  for  supper 
that  night,  for  I  did  not  know  but  he  could  put 
me  in  the  lockup. 

After  tea  I  went  up  to  the  corners  and  called 
the  trustees  together.  The  board  was  composed 
of  three  representative  men :  John  F.  Hicks  and 
J.  Kincaid,  both  acting  justices  of  the  peace  at 
that  time,  and  James  Chesbro.  On  the  assem- 
bling of  the  board,  I  stated  the  circumstances, 
and  the  president  said :  ' '  Mr.  Hooper  we  have 
hired  you  to  teach  our  school.  If  that  boy  comes 
back  and  does  not  obey  your  rules,  you  go  at  him 
again,  only  be  a  little  more  severe  the  next  time, 
and  we  will  stand  between  you  and  all  harm. 
It  shall  not  cost  you  a  cent. ' ' 

I  wonder  how  many  of  the  trustees  of  the 
schools  realize  how  much  good  an  encouraging 


46  A  CASE  OF  DISCIPLINE,  1849 

word  does  a  teacher.  I  went  back  to  my  school 
the  next  morning  feeling  as  strong  as  a  lion.  I 
had  not  only  my  own  strength  but  also  the 
strength  of  the  three  strong  men  just  back  of 
me.  The  question  of  discipline  was  settled.  I 
think  those  boys  believed  that  I  would  climb  a 
boy  six  feet  tall  and  wring  his  neck  if  he  did  not 
mind  me.  There  was  no  more  trouble  on  that 
line  during  the  three  years  that  I  taught  the  Po- 
dunk  school. 

I  will  say  before  closing  this  chapter,  that 
William  came  to  school  after  a  week's  absence, 
and  never  gave  me  more  trouble.  Some  years 
afterward  I  met  him  at  Amboy,  where  he  had 
married  and  settled.  While  teaching  at  Amboy 
I  raised  several  acres  of  tobacco  and  used  to  hire 
William  to  help  me  hoe  it.  While  working  to- 
gether in  the  tobacco  we  used  to  talk  and  laugh 
over  our  little  scrap  at  the  Podunk  school,  and  I 
think  the  man  respected  me  much  more  than  if 
the  incident  had  not  occurred. 

Podunk  was  a  place  much  better  known  fifty 
years  ago  than  it  is  now.  That  is,  it  had  a  far 
reaching  reputation.  It  was  said  that  one  travel- 
ling in  western  States,  if  he  chanced  to  speak  of 
Syracuse  would  find  that  little  was  known  of  it ; 
but  if  he  mentioned  Podunk  he  would  find  that 
it  was  well-known.  I  remember  at  one  time 
when  eight  or  ten  railroad  conductors  came  out 


PODUNK   FIFTY   YEARS   AGO  47 

there  on  what  they  called  a  lark.  Soon  after 
they  arrived  they  cut  the  flagpole  down  and 
stretching  it  across  the  street  made  a  tollgate  of 
it,  and  every  man  who  came  along  must  pay  toll. 
If  he  had  a  woman  with  him,  however,  the  pole 
was  carried  back  and  all  stood  with  uncovered 
heads  while  she  was  passing.  The  constable  was 
notified  and  came  in  haste.  They  listened  re- 
spectfully while  he  explained  the  law  and  told 
them  that  they  would  be  arrested  if  they  did  not 
desist  at  once.  They  gathered  around,  took  him 
in  their  arms,  and  carrying  him  to  the  bar,  told 
the  landlord  to  fill  the  glasses.  The  constable 
being  a  strong  temperance  man,  some  friends  in- 
terfered in  his  behalf,  and  he  was  told  that  if  he 
would  go  right  home  and  be  a  good  boy  they 
would  let  him  go. 

But  Podunk  is  no  more.  Under  the  march  of 
civilization,  Centerville  with  Plank  Road  P.  0. 
has  taken  its  place ;  and  with  another  stride  on- 
ward in  the  scale  of  knowledge,  it  is  now  honored 
with  the  name  of  North  Syracuse.  Owl's  Head 
has  long  since  been  forgotten.  The  old  Ked  Tav- 
ern has  been  swept  away,  and  the  places  that 
knew  them  will  know  them  no  more. 


CHAPTER   XI 
TOBACCO  IN  SCHOOL,  1852 

As  we  are  writing  under  the  head  of  incidents 
of  school  experience,  and  that  my  young  readers 
may  compare  the  old  with  the  new,  permit  me 
to  say  farther  of  this  same  school  that  after 
three  years  of  happy  experience  I  went  into 
what  we  called  the  Brown  district  school,  and  a 
man  of  long  experience  was  engaged  in  the  Po- 
dunk  school.  Some  three  or  four  weeks  after  the 
school  had  commenced  I  met  one  of  the  trustees 
who  asked  me  to  visit  the  school  and  see  how 
the  teacher,  whom  I  had  recommended  to  them, 
was  getting  along,  as  they  understood  he  was 
teaching  all  of  the  boys,  and  he  did  not  know 
but  the  girls,  to  smoke.  Being  then  a  resident 
of  the  Podunk  district,  I  embraced  the  first  op- 
portunity to  visit  the  school.  I  found  a  fine  class 
of  pupils  present,  many  of  them  young  men  and 
women.  I  noticed  a  general  confusion  in  the 
room,  yet  all  were  busy  and  the  work  went  on 
until  recess.  (The  progress  of  civilization  had 
made  it  apparent  that  it  was  better  to  have 
seperate  yards  for  girls  and  boys,  so  the  recess 
came  at  the  same  time.) 

Immediately  after  recess  was  announced,  the 

(48) 


LIBERAL  NOTIONS  OF  DISCIPLINE  49 

teacher  filled  and  lighted  his  pipe,  several  of  the 
boys  lighted  cigars,  and  they  all  had  a  visit  and 
a  smoke  together.  I  spoke  to  the  teacher  of 
the  impropriety  of  smoking  in  the  school-room. 
He  replied  that  he  could  not  get  along  from  morn- 
ing until  noon  without  smoking  and  as  he  was 
obliged  to  smoke  he  could  not  deprive  the  boys 
of  the  same  privilege.  As  the  school  went  on 
after  recess  I  noticed  that  the  boys  were  free  to- 
cross  the  room  and  sitting  beside  the  girls  to  talk 
over  their  lessons,  and  I  suppose,  their  parties. 
They  all  seemed  very  free  to  change  about  while 
the  teacher  kept  hard  at  work. 

At  noon  I  had  an  opportunity  to  ask  the  young 
folks  how  it  went :  ' '  Oh !  grandly, ' '  they  said. 
They  never  had  so  much  fun  in  school  in  their 
lives.  I  asked  the  teacher  about  the  whispering 
and  general  confusion,  and  he  said  he  did  not  be- 
lieve in  still  schools.  By  allowing  the  pupils  to 
change  their  seats,  they  could  help  each  other, 
and  it  saved  a  great  deal  of  time.  And  then  he 
loved  to  hear  that  buzzing  sound  in  the  room. 
It  sounded  like  the  mill  grinding  corn.  It  seemed 
as  if  there  was  business  going  on. 

I  will  add  that  there  were  sensible  pupils  in 
that  school.  They  had  become  a  little  intoxi- 
cated with  the  fun,  but  as  soon  as  they  sobered 
up,  they  realized  that  they  were  not  learning, 
and  one  day  they  had  a  quarrel  with  their  teach- 
er, and  the  school  was  closed. 


CHAPTER  XII 
IN  VARIOUS  SCHOOLS,  1853-1872 

My  two  years'  or  two  winters'  experience  in 
the  Brown  school  was  marked  by  no  inter- 
ruptions. I  had  some  boys  who  were  regarded 
as  a  little  rough,  but  we  got  along  very  pleas- 
antly. I  have  heard  my  friend  Mr.  Fred  Smiley 
of  North  Syracuse  relate  an  incident  of  that 
school  which  I  will  repeat.  He  said  that  in  the 
spring,  just  before  the  close  of  my  first  year,  one 
of  the  trustees  in  conversation  with  a  young 
man  who  had  formerly  given  some  trouble  in  the 
school,  said  to  him:  "You  used  a  year  ago  to 
call  that  little  teacher  that  we  had  from  Syra- 
cuse, Kinky!  Kinky!  Kinky!  Why  don't  you 
call  this  one  Kinky  ? ' '  The  reply  was :  ' '  He 
is  nothing  but  a  kinky,  but  darn  him  we  dare 
not  tell  him  so.  They  knew  they  could  handle 
him,  but  for  some  mysterious  reason  they  dared 
not  undertake  it." 

My  next  two  winters  were  spent  at  Pine  Grove, 
about  one  mile  north  of  Podunk,  where  teachers 
and  pupils  enjoyed  the  work  and  were  happy. 
This  school  was  represented  by  such  families  as 
those  of  Rev.  Earl  P.  Salisbury,  Merritt  Belden, 
Merriam,  Lilly,  and  other  representative  men, 
and  the  school  was  intelligent. 

(50) 


PINE  GROVE,  AMBOY,  FAIRMOUNT         51 

After  nine  years  of  teaching  in  the  northern 
towns,  I  settled  in  the  school  at  Amboy  in  the 
town  of  Camillus.  I  spent  four  years  very 
pleasantly  at  Amboy.  The  only  incident  that  I 
care  to  relate  is  a  little  advice  given  me  by  the 
trustee  about  three  weeks  after  the  school  had 
begun.  As  I  went  into  his  grocery  store  one 
evening  he  made  this  remark:  "  Mr.  Hooper, 
there  are  three  boys  in  your  school  who  do  not 
intend  to  mind  you.  Now  you  may  do  as  you 
have  a  mind  to,  but  I  will  tell  you  what  I  would 
do.  The  first  time  one  of  those  boys  refused  to 
mind  me,  I  would  knock  him  down  with  a  stick 
of  wood  or  anything  I  could  get  hold  of." 
Rather  radical  advice  for  a  trustee  to  give  his 
teacher.  I  said:  "  I  am  abundantly  able  to 
manage  my  school.  I  shall  not  call  on  my  trus- 
tee to  help  me. ' ' 

The  school  was  pleasant  and  I  think  as  a  rule 
we  were  all  happy. 

I  then  spent  two  years  at  the  upper  or  western 
Fairmount  school.  I  have  never  taught  a  school 
that  gave  me  more  satisfaction  than  this  one. 
There  are  two  departments,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  use  the  second  room  for  a  study  room,  as 
there  were  many  more  than  one  room  would 
accommodate.  This  school  was  represented  by 
such  families  as  the  Driscoll,  Plumb,  Murphy, 
Whedon,  Gaylord,  Canally,  Hubbard,  Wads- 
worth,  and  Leddy  families. 


52          IN  VARIOUS  SCHOOLS,  1853-1872 

I  think  could  James  Driscoll  have  lived  he 
might  have  reached  the  Nation's  capital  sooner 
than  his  brother  Michael.  He  was  a  tall,  fine- 
looking  young  man,  full  of  fun  and  full  of  work. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine. 

Some  of  my  older  readers  will  remember 
Jeemes  of  the  Baldwinsville  Gazette,  or  rather 
James  Clark.  If  I  am  not  mistaken  Mr.  Clark 
filled  out  a  term  as  school  commissioner  made 
vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Alonzo  H.  Clapp. 
I  can  hardly  forbear  to  say  just  here  of  Alonzo 
H.  Clapp  that  it  was  a  costly  war  that  required 
the  lives  of  such  men.  He  was  young,  thor- 
oughly educated,  true  to  the  principles  of  right. 
Could  he  have  lived  he  would  have  reflected 
honor  upon  his  chosen  profession. 

An  incident  of  this  school  occurs  to  me  which 
I  will  relate.  On  a  certain  morning,  when  the 
seats  in  the  senior  room  were  all  filled  and  the 
arithmetic  recitations  were  going  on,  a  tall,  dark- 
complexioned,  black-haired  gentleman  entered 
the  room  and  announced  himself  the  school 
commissioner.  We  gave  him  a  seat  and  the 
work  went  en  until  half-past  eleven,  when  at 
the  ringing  of  the  table-bell  the  folding  door& 
were  thrown  open,  and  fifteen  girls  and  boys,  as 
intelligent  a  class  as  I  have  ever  had  in  any 
school,  passed  out  to  the  recitation.  The  com- 
missioner leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  expressed 


GEDDES  53 

himself  in  about  the  following  language :  ' '  Well, 
Mr.  Hooper,  I  have  found  an  oasis!  I  have 
been  travelling  in  the  desert  all  the  week  and 
truly  this  is  an  oasis!  " 

In  the  fall  of  1863  I  had  a  call  to  the  Geddes 
village  school,  then  consisting  of  two  hundred 
ten  pupils,  with  four  teachers.  During  my 
principalship  it  grew  in  numbers  (including  the 
Magnolia  branch)  to  nine  hundred  sixty  pupils 
with  seventeen  teachers.  I  do  not  care  to  say 
much  of  my  experience  as  principal  of  the  Ged- 
des school.  They  told  us  we  had  a  good  school, 
but  I  have  to  confess  that  as  I  look  back  upon 
the  methods  of  doing  school  work  then  and  com- 
pare them  with  the  present,  and  see  how  much 
more  is  being  accomplished,  and  how  much  less 
time  is  required  in  which  to  accomplish  it,  I 
hardly  feel  to  admit  that  my  school  was  even 
then  a  good  school. 

Perhaps  before  closing  this  chapter  I  should 
say  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  more  than  nine 
hundred  Contibutors  to  the  beautiful  tribute  of 
their  kindness  and  generosity,  that  after  almost 
thirty  years  have  passed  it  is  ticking  off  the  time 
in  my  pocket  by  day  and  by  night  as  correctly 
as  ever. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
A  SCHOOL  COMMISSIONER,  1873-1878 

In  the  fall  of  1872  I  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  school  commissioner  of  the  second  district  of 
Onondaga  county,  and  re-elected  in  1875,  holding 
the  office  six  years. 

The  school  commissioner  has  always  been  con- 
sidered, like  the  schoolmaster  of  olden  time,  a 
distinguished  individual.  It  is  an  honorable 
office,  and  any  man  may  consider  himself  hon- 
ored who  has  been  elected  to  it  by  a  fair  majority 
of  the  voters  of  his  district.  But  when  a  man 
has  to  buy  influence  and  pay  for  it  in  money,  in 
whisky,  in  beer,  and  cigars,  in  order  to  be  elected, 
there  is  not  much  honor  in  it. 

I  was  at  this  time  suffering  for  want  of  out- 
of-door  exercise.  Through  the  kindness  of  my 
friends  in  giving  me  the  office,  I  got  all  that  I 
wanted,  and  from  January  to  April  I  thought  a 
little  more  than  I  needed ;  for  I  came  near  freez- 
ing to  death. 

I  found  the  larger  schools  doing  well,  and  some 
of  the  more  rural  schools  were  doing  their  work 
well,  and  producing  good  results.  But  they  were 
like  fertile  spots  in  the  desert,  few  and  far 
between. 

The  most  of  the  rural  schools  were  in  a  sad 

(54) 


TEACHING  OF  BEADING  IN  THE  70 's        55 

condition.  For  instance  I  stayed  at  a  farmer's 
house  over  night.  In  the  evening  a  little  boy 
about  seven  years  old  who  was  playing  with  his 
toys  was  requested  by  his  mother  to  get  his 
school  reader  and  read  for  the  commissioner. 
The  little  boy  read  some  stories  that  I  selected  for 
him  in  as  pleasant,  natural,  story -like  way  as 
one  could  wish.  I  visited  the  school  the  next 
morning,  and  when  the  class  of  which  this  little 
boy  was  a  member  was  called,  I  turned  to  one 
of  the  pieces  that  had  been  read  so  nicely  the 
evening  before  and  requested  the  teacher  to  allow 
the  children  to  read  it.  To  say  that  I  was  sur- 
prised would  hardly  express  it.  The  boy  at  the 
end  of  the  class  pitched  the  key — struck  the  tune 
and  read  the  first  verse.  No.  2  with  the  same 
pitch  and  in  the  same  tune  read  the  second  verse. 
The  boy  who  had  read  this  piece  so  nicely  in  the 
evening  at  home  was  No.  3,  and  taking  the 
same  class  pitch  and  tune  read  his  verse  in  that 
same  strange,  unnatural  voice.  He  dared  not  read 
naturally,  the  class  would  laugh  at  him,  the 
whole  school  would  laugh  at  him,  and  I  do  not 
know  but  the  teacher  would.  The  intelligent 
mother  was  teaching  her  boy  to  read  correctly. 
The  teacher  was  undoing  every  day  what  the 
mother  was  trying  to  accomplish. 

Now  this  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  silly  work 
that  was  done  in  many  of  the  schools  of  the 


56       A  SCHOOL  COMMISSIONER,  1873-1878 

county  in  the  teaching  of  reading  less  than 
thirty  years  ago. 

What  was  very  strange  to  me,  and  for  which 
I  have  never  been  able  to  account,  was  the  fact 
that  wherever  this  strange  pitch  and  tune  was 
found  in  a  class,  it  was  in  all  classes,  not  only 
in  the  reading  but  in  the  other  recitations.  And 
it  was  precisely  the  same  in  schools  twenty  miles 
apart. 

I  learned  the  tune  so  perfectly  that  I  can  take 
the  pitch  and  sing  a  verse  in  that  tune  now  as 
well  as  I  could  then.  It  is  the  second  tune  that 
I  ever  learned.  My  wife  used  to  tell  me  that  I 
knew  but  one  tune,  and  that  was  "  From  Green- 
lands  Icy  mountains  ".  But  I  learned  this  tune 
as  perfectly  as  the  other,  and  can  sing  both  of 
them  very  nicely  now. 


CHAPTER   XIV 
TEACHERS  ASSOCIATIONS 

I  think  that  ever  since  commissioner  district 
teachers  meetings  were  first  organized,  it  has 
been  conceded  by  the  better  class  of  teachers 
that  much  good  came  from  them.  We  had  in 
those  days  usually  four  meetings  a  year,  and 
they  were  well  attended. 

The  most  good  that  I  ever  realized  from  teach- 
ers meetings  was  in  town  gatherings.  I  would 
visit  the  schools  of  a  town  and  at  the  same  time 
see  the  trustee  of  each  school,  and  ask  him  to 
allow  the  teacher  to  close  her  school  at  noon  on 
Friday  without  deducting  from  her  salary,  as  I 
wanted  her  at  the  teacher's  meeting.  Not  in  a 
single  instance  did  a  trustee  refuse  to  allow  the 
teacher  to  go,  and  almost  always,  if  necessary, 
he  would  provide  means  for  her  to  get  there. 
Many  a  Friday  afternoon  have  I  spent  pleasantly 
with  ten  or  twelve  teachers,  discussing  our  suc- 
cesses and  our  failures,  and  advising  each  other 
how  to  overcome  difficulties  such  as  we  must 
meet  in  the  school-room. 

I  am  sorry  to  note  that  teachers  associations 
are  becoming  less  frequent  in  Onondaga  county, 
and  I  know  of  no  reason  other  than  that  school 

(57) 


58  TEACHERS  ASSOCIATIONS 

commissioners  are  receiving  a  higher  salary  now 
than  they  got  thirty  years  ago. 

The  first  teachers  institute  that  I  attended  was 
held  in  Syracuse,  and  was  conducted  by  John  H. 
French.  The  second  was  held  in  the  old  White 
school  house  in  Baldwinsville,  and  was  conducted 
by  James  Johonnot.  These  two  men  were  types 
of  the  noble  men  sent  out  by  the  State  depart- 
ment, to  build  up  teachers  institutes  in  New 
York  State,  and  well  did  they  do  their  work. 
One  of  the  strongest  evidences  of  the  growing 
efficiency  of  the  teachers  institutes  from  those 
days  to  the  present,  is  found  in  the  greater  effi- 
ciency of  our  teachers  and  the  improved  methods 
of  doing  school  work. 

The  department  has  sometimes  made  mistakes, 
and  men  have  been  sent  to  conduct  our  institutes 
who  were  good  for  nothing  as  teachers.  But  I 
will  say  of  the  present  administration,  if  a  single 
mistake  has  been  made  on  this  line,  Onondaga 
county  has  not  found  it. 

It  is  but  a  few  years  since  the  law  requiring 
attendance  at  the  institute  was  in  force,  and 
there  were  more  liberties  taken  in  the  old  days 
than  now. 

I  remember  an  incident  at  an  institute  held  at 
Skaneateles,  while  I  was  principal  of  the  school 
at  Geddes. 

One  morning,  while  the  bell  was  being  rung 


TEACHERS  INSTITUTES  59 

for  the  morning  session,  as  I  was  sitting  by  the 
window  fronting  the  lake,  I  saw  my  whole  corps 
of  teachers,  to  the  number  of  seventeen,  headed 
up  the  lake  under  full  sail,  waving  their  handker- 
chiefs. After  an  hour's  sail  they  came  in  look- 
ing as  fresh,  as  innocent,  and  as  good-natured  as 
one  could  wish.  I  will  say  that  I  never  whipped 
a  girl  in  my  school  in  my  life.  But  if  I  could 
have  taken  one  of  those  gads  spoken  of  in  an- 
other part  of  this  book,  and  laid  it  onto  those 
seventeen  young  women's  shoulders  about  six 
times  apiece,  I  think  it  would  have  been  perfect 
bliss — for  me. 


CHAPTER  XV 

SOLVAY,   1879-1884 

At  the  termination  of  my  term  of  office  I  en- 
gaged as  principal  of  school  No.  2,  Geddes,  now 
Solvay,  where  I  remained  six  years. 

I  enjoyed  my  school  at  No.  2  very  much,  and 
I  think  the  boys  and  girls  of  that  time,  now 
grown  to  men  and  women,  are  glad  to  meet  and 
shake  hands  with  their  old  teacher. 

I  can  hardly  forbear  to  relate  a  little  incident 
of  this  school  which  occurred  while  I  was  in  the 
school  commissioner  work.  A  young  man  with 
a  good  education,  so  far  as  book  knowledge  was 
concerned,  was  engaged  to  teach  the  school.  It 
soon  became  evident  to  the  commissioner  that 
he  lacked  one  of  the  principal  requisites  of  a 
successful  teacher, — that  is  common  sense.  The 
school  amounted  to  nothing  for  want  of  disci- 
pline. The  school  had  two  departments,  and 
there  was  a  large  class  of  older  pupils  who  had 
evidently  been  in  the  habit  of  running  the  school 
about  to  suit  their  own  notion.  The  young  man 
was  obliged  to  quit,  and  Peter  B.  McLennan, 
then  reading  law  in  one  of  the  law  offices  of 
Syracuse,  was  engaged  to  finish  the  term.  I 
was  told  by  the  pupils,  that  the  school  passed 
along  quietly  for  some  days,  when,  as  the  teacher 
was  hearing  a  class  of  young  boys  and  girls  re- 

(60) 


A  STALWART  TEACHER  61 

cite  their  lesson  and  talking  with  them  about  their 
geography  work,  a  couple  of  young  men  sitting 
a  little  back  took  it  upon  them  to  cut  up.  The 
teacher,  with  a  book  in  one  hand  and  continuing 
the  conversation  with  the  class,  quietly  walked 
back  and  taking  one  of  the  young  men  by  the 
collar  lifted  him  up  over  the  desks  and  carried 
him  to  the  front.  Not  breaking  his  conversation, 
he  lifted  the  other  with  one  hand  and,  carrying 
him  to  the  front,  passed  on  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  Discipline  was  established  and  there 
was  no  more  trouble  on  that  line. 

I  will  add  another  anecdote  of  this  teacher, 
now  a  distinguished  justice  of  the  supreme  court. 
At  our  teachers  institute  one  of  the  conductors 
had  made  himself  disagreeable  by  putting  on 
airs  and  talking  down  to  the  teachers.  He  gave 
a  lesson  on  local  geography,  in  the  course  of 
which  he  asked  how  long  Onondaga  lake  was. 
Some  thought  it  was  five  miles,  some  five  and  a 
half,  some  six,  some  six  and  a  half.  He  burst 
into  a  tirade  against  their  ignorance,  saying  these 
lakes  of  central  New  York  were  world  famous; 
a  teacher  in  Louisana  or  in  Liverpool  or  in  Vienna 
ought  to  know  their  dimensions.  How  disgrace- 
ful for  Onondaga  teachers  not  to  know,  and  know 
for  certain,  that  Onondaga  lake  was  six  miles 
long.  When  he  was  through  young  McLennan 
quietly  asked  him  how  wide  it  was.  The  con- 
ductor could  not  tell ;  he  had  not  looked  that  up. 


CHAPTER   XVI 
FINAL  EXPERIENCES  AS  A  TEACHER,  1884-1899 

In  the  spring  of  1884  I  engaged  to  teach  in 
Baldwinsville,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  I 
had  a  very  pleasant  school  experience  in  Bald- 
winsville for  three  years,  when  I  engaged  to  go 
to  Cayuga,  in  Cayuga  county.  My  nervous  sys- 
tem at  this  time  was  nearly  prostrated,  and  after 
trying  two  months  to  overcome  my  nervousness 
and  settle  down  to  school  work  I  was  obliged  to 
give  it  up. 

I  rested  the  remainder  of  the  school  year,  and 
the  next  year  I  went  into  the  West  Fairmount 
school,  where  I  taught  the  children  of  those  who 
were  my  pupils  thirty-one  and  thirty-two  years 
before.  To  say  I  enjoyed  this  school  is  unneces- 
sary, for  I  have  never  taught  a  school  that  I  did 
not  enjoy;  and  I  suppose  that  the  fact  that  I 
have  always  been  happy  in  my  school  work  has 
had  something  to  do  with  prolonging  my  school- 
life. 

After  six  years  of  school  work  at  Fairmount,  I 
went  into  the  Euclid  school,  in  the  town  of  Clay, 
where  I  remained  five  years.  Forty -five  years 
before,  I  had  taught  my  first  school  in  the  county 
in  the  town  of  Clay,  and  I  had  some  desire  to 

(62) 


MY  LAST  YEAR  OP  SCHOOL  63 

finish  my  work  in  the  same  town.  After  five 
years  of  happy  experience  in  Euclid  I  found  I 
had  described  a  fifty  year  circle,  and  on  advising 
with  my  doctor  as  to  the  probability  of  my  being 
able  to  describe  another  such  a  circle  I  followed 
his  advice  and  retired. 

I  shall  never  forget  my  last  year  of  school.  I 
had  some  misgivings  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year  about  being  able  to  go  through.  The  first 
half  year  of  school  passed,  and  I  felt  that  I  could 
not  finish  my  year.  "But,"  I  said,  "it  is  my 
fiftieth  year  of  school  in  Onondaga  county  ' ' ;  and 
I  prayed  earnestly  that  I  might  have  strength  to 
finish  the  year.  That  same  will-power  that  had 
so  many  times  come  to  the  rescue  seemed  to 
impel  me  on,  and  I  finished  the  work  of  teach- 
ing on  the  seventeenth  day  of  June,  1899.  On 
that,  to  me,  memorable  afternoon,  as  the  last 
pupil  bade  me  a  pleasant  good-by,  I  settled  back 
in  my  chair  and  said  to  myself,  "  It  is  done!  " 

And  now  my  dear  readers,  my  school  life  is 
ended.  The  story  of  my  young  boyhood,  the 
struggles  that  I  experienced,  the  pledges  that  I 
made,  the  power  that  was  given  me  to  keep  my 
pledges  sacred,  the  Divine  help  and  procecting 
care  that  were  given  me  amid  dangers,  have  all 
been  recorded.  I  have  narrated  my  experience 
from  the  age  of  twenty,  when  fortune  seemed 
to  smile  upon  me  and  I  was  enabled  to  earn  my 


64  FINAL  EXPERIENCES  AS  A  TEACHER,  1884-1899 

living,  and  also  to  get  an  education ;  my  return 
to  St.  Lawrence  county  and  my  first  school  ex- 
perience; my  boarding  around;  coasting  down 
hill  on  the  crust  on  our  way  to  the  spelling 
school;  the  commencement  of  fifty  year's  ex- 
perience as  a  teacher  in  Onondaga  county. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
ATTENDANCE  AND  TARDINESS 

I  have  often  been  asked  by  teachers,  especially 
of  the  rural  schools,  one  or  more  of  the  following 
questions : 

(1)  How  do  you  secure  regular  attendance  ? 

(2)  How  do  you  prevent  tardiness  ? 

(3)  How  do  you  prevent  whispering  ? 

(4)  Do  you  advise  teachers  to  play  with  their 
pupils  out  of  school  hours  ? 

(5)  Do  you  believe  in  corporal  punishment  ? 
I  have  been  accustomed  to  reply  as  follows: 

(1)  To  secure  regular  attendance,  be  attractive 
yourself,  full  of  enthusiasm  and  interest  in  your 
work.     Never  let   time  drag  with  yourself   or 
your  pupils.     Make  your  school-room  attractive. 
Engage  the  interest  of  your  pupils  to  help  you  to 
make  your  school-room  and  play-ground  just  as 
beautiful  as  possible,  and  secure  the  cooperation 
of  the  trustee ;  visit  the  parents  of  the  habitually 
absent,  stay  to  tea,  and  talk  the  matter  over.     If 
absent  again,  go  down  that  same  night  and  talk 
it  over  again.     Be  sure  to  stay  to  tea  every  time 
you  go,  and  it  won't  be  long  before  Johnny  will 
be  in  school  regularly. 

(2)  To  prevent  tardiness,  never  be  tardy  your 

(65) 


66  TARDINESS 

self.  A  teacher  should  be  a  pattern  of  punctu- 
ality. He  should  be  on  time  in  meeting  all  of 
his  engagements,  both  social  and  business.  He 
should  be  on  time  at  school,  on  time  at  church, 
on  time  everywhere.  Teach  the  parents  that 
there  is  no  excuse  for  tardiness ;  and  if  necessary 
send  a  printed  circular  to  all  the  parents  setting 
forth  the  importance  of  children's  learning  les- 
sons of  promptness.  Just  such  a  circular  as  you 
can  write  and  as  will  cost  but  a  few  cents  to 
have  seventy-five  or  a  hundred  printed,  will 
prove  of  great  help. 

But,  you  say,  suppose  after  all  some  do  come 
in  tardy,  what  will  you  do  ?  Always  let  them 
come  in,  and  never  whip  them.  But  you  may 
talk  to  them,  and  you  can  soon  make  it  unpopu- 
lar for  pupils  to  come  into  school-room  after  the 
school  has  begun. 

On  a  certain  Saturday  a  number  of  years  since 
I  started  from  a  little  west  of  Syracuse  to  go  to 
Auburn.  I  walked  up  the  turnpike  to  Camillus, 
and  as  I  reached  a  point  on  the  east  hill  near  the 
station  I  saw  the  train  moving  out.  The  conduc- 
tor was  standing  on  the  rear  platform.  I  called 
loudly  to  him  to  stop  the  train.  I  told  him  our 
clock  was  too  slow,  and  I  did  not  mean  to  be  tardy. 
I  told  him  my  mother  was  sick  and  I  had  to  go  for 
the  doctor.  I  told  him  I  had  to  mind  the  baby 
while  my  mother  washed  the  dishes,  and  I  had  to 


WHY  I  MISSED  THE  TRAIN  67 

chop  some  wood  for  my  mother  to  get  dinner.  He 
just  stood  looking  at  me  and  laughed.  I  finally 
told  him  that  my  little  brother  had  just  died;  I 
thought  surely  that  would  break  his  heart,  but 
he  kept  going  right  on  all  the  time,  laughing 
at  me. 

Now  do  you  not  think  that  conductor  was  a 
hard-hearted  man  ?  I  wanted  to  go  to  Auburn 
and  he  was  going  right  that  way.  To  be  sure  I 
was  about  one  minute  late,  but  I  had  brought 
the  very  best  of  excuses,  just  such  as  nine-tenths 
of  the  teachers  would  accept,  and  this  man 
would  not  accept  one  of  them. 

Now  let  us  look  a  moment  at  the  position  held 
by  this  man  and  see  if  we  can  find  a  reason  for 
his  treating  me  so  shabbily.  This  train  was 
loaded  with  men,  women,  and  children ;  and  the 
conductor  was  legally  and  morally  responsible 
not  only  for  their  safety,  but  also  for  their 
reaching  their  destination  on  time,  and  he 
had  no  time  to  stop  for  a  laggard.  Again  the 
train  in  that  one  minute  time  had  reached  a 
velocity  that  hah  carried  it  beyond  the  power  of 
the  conductor.  He  could  not  stop  it  if  he  would. 
Its  own  momentum  would  carry  it  on. 

Now  my  school  carries  as  precious  a  load  as 
any  railroad  train,  and  I  am  legally  and  morally 
responsible  for  the  safety  of  the  pupils,  and  also 
for  their  moral  and  intellectual  development  into 


68  TARDINESS 

good  business  men  and  women.  If  I  find  a  fault 
growing  in  the  character  of  one  of  these  pupils, 
it  is  my  business  to  try  and  remove  it,  and  a  lag- 
gard will  never  make  much  of  a  business  man. 

I  love  to  look  upon  my  school,  although  it  may 
be  far  away,  hid  among  the  hills  in  the  country, 
and  contain  but  ten  little  children,  as  a  part  of 
the  great  educational  system  of  my  country,  and 
feel  that  I  am  one  of  the  great  army  of  teachers, 
working  faithfully  to  develop  the  girls  and  boys 
in  my  charge  into  true  manhood  and  womanhood. 

Would  I  send  a  tardy  pupil  home  ?  Yes  if  I 
had  a  right  to.  But  as  1  have  not,  I  will  make 
it  so  unpleasant  for  him  that  he  will  rather  go 
home  than  come  into  my  school-room  tardy. 

Oh !  but  you  say,  he  will  lose  all  of  his  lessons 
of  that  session.  Yes,  he  will,  but  what  will  he 
gain  ?  Perhaps  I  can  answer  the  question  by 
telling  you  what  I  gained  by  the  conductor's 
refusing  to  wait  just  one  minute  for  me  at  the 
station.  It  was  this:  when  I  wanted  to  take 
the  train  at  Camillus  again  to  go  to  Auburn  I 
was  on  time. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
WHISPERING 

(3)  To  prevent  whispering,  the  best  way  I 
have  ever  found  is  to  crowd  it  out  with  hard 
work.  Another  good  way  is  to  vote  it  out.  Ask 
your  pupils  to  sign  a  pledge  that  they  will  not 
whisper  in  study  hours.  And  after  you  have 
crowded  it  out  and  voted  it  out  and  pledged  it  out 
you  will  find  some  from  whom  you  would  like  to 
thrash  it  out.  I  have  sometimes  worked  the 
reporting  system  successfully.  It  will  work  well 
in  some  schools;  in  others  it  should  never  be 
used.  If  you  find  that  even  one  pupil  is  not 
reporting  truthfully,  either  silence  that  one,  or 
discontinue  the  plan. 

A  case  in  hand  will  show  to  what  means  pupils 
will  sometimes  resort  to  avoid  telling  a  falsehood, 
and  yet  have  their  own  way. 

In  my  own  experience  in  one  of  the  larger 
schools  a  class  graduated  from  the  junior  to  the 
senior  room.  Among  the  graduates  were  three 
girls  who  were  close  companions,  and  more  than 
usually  bright.  It  soon  became  evident  to  me 
that  those  three  girls  were  whispering  every  day 
and  reporting  perfect.  In  my  conversation  with 
them  after  school,  they  admitted  that  they  whis- 

(69) 


70  DANGER  OF  SELF-REPORTING 

pered  in  study  hours,  and  that  they  reported  pre- 
fect. But  they  indignantly  denied  that  they  told 
falsehoods. 

I  told  them  that  I  had  confidence  in  their  in- 
tegrity. I  said,  "  It  would  break  your  mothers' 
hearts  if  they  knew  that  you  were  telling  a  false- 
hood here  every  day,  and  you  will  have  to  ex- 
plain. ' ' 

They  much  preferred  to  settle  the  matter  with 
me  rather  than  to  have  it  go  to  their  mothers, 
and  they  explained  that  all  the  while  they  were 
in  the  junior  room  the  rule  was  that  they  must 
not  whisper  to  each  other  in  study  hours.  So 
whenever  they  whispered  they  always  said  "  Miss 
White ' '  first,  and  then  said  what  they  wanted  to. 
They  had  done  the  same  since  they  had  been 
in  my  room,  so  they  had  never  whispered  to  each 
other,  but  to  Miss  White  in  the  junior,  and  to 
Mr.  Hooper,  in  the  senior  room. 

So  I  say  be  cautious  in  the  use  of  the  report- 
ing system,  but  if  you  use  it  make  it  thorough. 

(4)  As  to  whether  teachers  should  play  with 
their  pupils  out  of  school  hours,  I  will  say  that 
any  game  that  is  suitable  for  pupils  is  suitable 
for  teachers,  and  I  am  sorry  for  a  teacher  who 
cannot  enter  heartily  into  the  sports  of  the 
children. 


CHAPTER    XIX 
CORPORAL  PUNISHMENT 

(5)  As  to  corporal  punishment,  I  will  say  that 
the  more  experience  I  have  in  dealing  with  chil- 
dren, the  less  I  believe  in  punishing ;  and  I  have 
come  to  believe  that  the  enactment  of  a  law 
making  it  a  misdemeanor  for  a  teacher  to  pun- 
ish a  pupil  by  inflicting  pain  upon  his  body  as  a 
means  of  preserving  order  in  school,  would  be  a 
wise  law. 

We  are  expected  to  use  such  means  to  preserve 
order  in  our  schools  as  a  judicious  parent  would 
use  in  governing  his  children  in  the  family. 
There  are  injudicious  parents;  and  we  have  inju- 
dicious teachers  who  never  ought  to  be  allowed 
to  punish  a  child. 

Under  this  head  let  me  state  a  few  facts  that 
have  come  under  my  own  observation.  The 
first  implements  of  torture  in  use  in  the  schools 
that  I  remember  to  have  seen,  were  ironwood 
ox-gads,  four  or  five  feet  long,  and  steamed  in 
the  fire  to  make  them  still  more  tough.  Sixty 
years  ago,  five  or  six  such  gads  laid  up  overhead 
in  the  school-room  were  considered  a  part  of  the 
winter  teacher's  kit,  and  he  was  not  considered 
much  of  a  teacher  if  he  was  not  able  to  use  them. 

(71) 


72  CORPORAL  PUNISHMENT 

Other  punishments  were  the  dunce-card,  the 
red  cap,  and  the  printed  card.  I  do  not  know 
but  these  are  still  in  use.  Another  was  the 
wheel-platform ;  this  consisted  of  a  board  about 
one  foot  square  with  a  small  wheel,  like  a 
castor,  under  each  corner.  I  never  saw  this 
worked,  but  have  been  told  that  the  pupil  was 
required  to  stand  on  the  platform  with  his  book, 
when  the  teacher,  watching  his  opportunity, 
would  kick  the  platform  from  behind,  letting 
him  down  on  the  back  of  his  head. 

Next,  the  sweat-chain.  This  was  a  small 
trace  chain  prepared  with  a  slipping  noose  at 
one  end  to  attach  to  the  stove-pipe  or  crane  of 
the  fire-place,  and  a  lock  at  the  other  end.  It 
was  worked  by  passing  the  chain  around  the 
pupil's  body,  drawing  him  up,  and  locking  him 
to  the  pipe.  Then  a  good  fire  in  the  stove  soon 
sweated  all  the  evil  out.  This  convenient  ap- 
paratus was  in  use  in  some  of  the  schools  of  On- 
ondaga  county  less  than  forty-five  years  ago. 

Another  quite  popular  method  of  punishment, 
and  one  that  I  have  seen  worked,  was  for  the 
teacher  to  draw  a  chalk  line  on  the  floor,  which 
the  pupil  must  toe  and  bending  over  put  the  end 
of  his  fingers  on  another  line  drawn  some  dis- 
tance in  front ;  then,  holding  up  one  foot,  he  was 
in  a  position  of  agony  during  the  pleasure  of 
the  teacher.  This  mode  of  punishment  was 


IMPLEMENTS  OF  TORTURE  73 

somewhat  common  in  the  more  rural  schools  of 
the  2d  district  of  the  county  in  1872  and  1873. 
In  the  winter  of  1873  I  found  it  in  use  as  I 
stepped  into  a  school- room  I  immediately  in- 
formed the  teacher  that  I  was  there  to  inspect 
his  methods  of  teaching  and  not  of  punishing, 
and  would  like  that  boy  to  be  released.  There 
were  intelligent  young  women  in  that  room  who 
blushed  with  shame  and  indignation  at  that 
spectacle. 


CHAPTER  XV 
RESPONSIBILITY  OF  THE  TEACHER 

I  think  it  would  be  well  for  our  department  of 
public  instruction  to  appoint  a  committee  whose 
duty  it  shall  be  to  prepare  specimens  of  the  bull- 
gad,  the  dunce-block,  cap,  and  motto,  the  plat- 
form-car, the  sweat-chain,  the  paddle  as  used  in 
the  Elmira  Reformatory,  and  the  hickory  ruler, 
and  deposit  them  in  our  State  capitol  at  Albany 
as  relics  of  the  means  used  to  preserve  order  in 
our  schools  during  the  barbarous  ages. 
.  I  would  like  just  here  to  speak  of  a  subject 
that  is  not  connected  with  discipline. 

I  have  visited  institutes  and  other  teacher's 
gatherings  outside  of  our  county,  and  I  believe 
the  conductors  will  bear  me  out  in  making  the 
statement  that  there  is  no  class  of  people  more 
neatly  and  reasonably  dressed  than  a  class  of 
Onondaga  county  teachers  at  their  institute. 

I  have  said  that  teachers  should  be  patterns  of 
promptness.  I  want  to  say  just  here,  that  teach- 
ers should  be  patterns  of  neatness.  I  have  seen 
men  teachers  in  their  schools  with  their  trowser- 
legs  inside  their  rubber-boot  tops,  while  a  ridge 
around  the  ankle  indicated  just  how  deep  they 
had  got  into  the  mud  in  coming  to  school. 

(74) 


PERSONAL  INTEREST  IN  PUPILS  75 

Good  nature  is  one  of  the  graces  that  a  teacher 
should  possess.  A  kind  heart,  indicated  by  a 
radiant  face  and  pleasant  voice,  will  cover  many 
faults.  I  know  there  come  times  and  circum- 
stances in  the  school-room  when  it  seems  hard, 
but  we  do  not  want  to  forget  that  it  pays  to  be 
good-natured.  Cultivate  a  kind  heart  and  let 
kindness  mark  every  step  of  your  school  life. 
Every  teacher  of  experience  can  recall  times  when 
a  kind  word  to  a  pupil  gave  him  courage  and 
ambition  such  as  he  had  never  felt  before,  and 
perhaps  changed  the  whole  course  of  his  life. 

A  boy  came  into  my  school  at  Geddes  one 
morning,  ragged,  untidy,  and  altogether  in  a  sad 
condition  for  the  school-room.  After  a  little 
time  I  asked  him  about  books,  and  found  he  had 
none.  I  picked  up  some  books  for  him  for  the 
day,  and  at  the  close  of  school  I  had  him  remain. 
Some  way  I  had  been  drawn  toward  the  boy  from 
my  first  conversation  with  him.  When  we  were 
alone  I  sat  down  close  to  him,  and  putting  my 
hand  on  his  shoulder,  said,  "  Johnny,  do  you 
want  to  learn  ?  ' ' 

Tears  ran  down  his  cheeks  as  he  said:  "  Mr. 
Hooper,  I  do  want  to  learn;  you  don't  know 
how  much  I  want  to  learn.  Will  you  let  me 
come  to  your  school  ?  "  By  this  time  tears  were 
running  down  my  cheeks,  and  Johnny  and  his 
teacher  had  a  good  crying  spell  together.  He 


76          RESPONSIBILITY  OF  THE  TEACHER 

then  told  me  that  he  had  just  come  from  driving 
on  the  canal,  and  as  navigation  was  about  clos- 
ing, he  was  discharged  in  Syracuse,  the  captain 
telling  him  that  he  had  no  money  to  pay  him 
•at  present.  Johnny  was  soon  properly  clothed 
and  happy  in  school. 

I  will  add  that  two  years  and  a  half  afterward 
I  went  into  our  coal  office  to  order  some  coal, 
and  this  same  young  man  took  my  order.  He 
was  a  trusted  clerk  and  earning  a  good  salary. 

A  few  years  ago  I  visited  the  State  prison  at 
Auburn.  As  the  party  were  led  into  a  large 
empty  room  with  windows  and  doors  barred,  I 
saw,  leaning  against  the  door  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  room,  a  young  man  dressed  in  the 
prison  suit.  His  face  was  so  familiar  to  me  that 
for  a  moment  I  forgot  where  I  was,  and  was  go- 
ing to  shake  hands  with  him  and  say,  "  How  do 
you  do,  Frank  ? ' '  when  he  shook  his  head  for  me 
not  to  come.  I  saw  him  as  I  had  seen  him  sit- 
ting before  me  at  the  recitation,  month  after 
month  for  more  than  two  years.  As  I  turned 
and  went  up  the  stairs,  I  said  to  myself,  "  To 
what  extent  am  I  responsible  for  the  condition 
<of  that  young  man  ?  " 

There  graduated  from  the  junior  to  the  senior 
room  with  his  class,  a  young  boy  whom  we  called 
Eugene.  He  was  a  favorite  with  both  teachers 
.and  pupils.  He  was  small  for  his  age,  then  ten. 


PATIENCE,  PRAYER,  PERSEVERANCE        77 

He  was  just  that  kind  of  boy  that  everybody 
loves.  He  was  bright,  of  a  nervous  tempera- 
ment, perfectly  reliable,  easy  to  learn,  and  full  of 
mischief.  Fellow  teacher,  did  you  ever  know  a 
temperament  such  as  I  have  described  that  was 
not  mischievous  ? 

In  a  few  days  I  found  he  was  writing  and  pass- 
ing notes  to  his  classmates  in  study  hours.  What 
was  to  be  done  ?  Shall  we  punish  him  ?  I 
think  I  would  not  have  struck  that  boy  a  blow 
to  save  my  right  hand  from  destruction.  I  did 
as  you  would  have  done,  kept  him  and  talked 
with  him  alone.  Please  remember  I  asked  him 
to  make  no  promises,  for  I  believed  if  he  did  he 
would  break  them.  Again  and  again  the  same 
thing  was  repeated,  and  again  and  again  we  had 
a  talk  alone.  I  had  asked  for  no  pledge  that  he 
would  discontinue  writing  notes  in  study  hours 
and  he  had  not  volunteered  to  give  me  one. 

Fellow  teachers,  I  come  to  you  for  advice.  I 
am  in  trouble.  This  little  boy  is  troubling  me 
and  I  do  not  know  how  to  overcome  the  trouble. 
My  patience  is  gone.  I  worried  about  it  all  last 
night.  Is  it  time  to  whip  him  now  ?  No.  I 
have  studied  this  little  boy.  I  know  what  his 
nature  is,  and  I  would  not  whip  him  for  all  the 
gold  in  the  mines.  But  what  shall  we  do  ? 
We  are  driven  to  the  wall.  My  wisdom  is  not 
equal  to  the  task,  but,  fellow  teacher,  as  I  can- 


78          RESPONSIBILITY  OF  THE  TEACHER 

not  direct  you,  I  will  cite  you  to  three  words, 
each  commencing  with  P,  that  will  always  help 
you  out  in  every  school  emergency:  patience, 
prayer,  and  perseverance. 

It  was  late  in  the  fall,  and  on  a  dark,  gloomy 
day  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  took 
the  little  boy  by  the  hand  and  went  down  to  the 
primary  room.  The  children  had  all  gone  home. 
It  was  dark,  gloomy,  and  silent  as  we  went  into 
that  large  room.  I  sat  down  on  a  desk  and 
drawing  him  to  me  and  putting  my  arm  around 
him  said,  "Eugene,  do  you  not  think  I  ought 
to  whip  you  ?  ' '  Impulsively  he  put  his  arm 
around  my  neck,  and  said  ' '  Mr.  Hooper,  I  will 
be  a  good  boy !  I  will  be  a  good  boy  !  I  won't 
do  so  any  more. ' '  Tears  were  running  down  his 
cheeks  and  they  were  running  down  mine  as 
well,  and  Eugene  and  his  teacher  had  a  cry 
together.  Please  notice  he  had  given  me  a 
voluntary  pledge,  and  I  knew  he  would  keep  it. 
I  said,  it  is  too  lonesome  here.  Let  us  go  back  to 
the  school-room.  During  the  few  weeks  that 
followed  I  believe  that  pledge  was  kept  sacred. 

We  noticed  one  morning  that  Eugene's  chair 
was  vacant  and  we  heard  that  he  was  very  sick. 
Each  morning  as  we  inquired  after  him,  the  re- 
port was  that  he  was  not  as  well,  and  every  eve- 
ning I  called  to  see  him.  During  his  spells  of 
delirium  his  school  was  in  his  mind.  His  exam- 


MY  ANTICIPATIONS  79 

inations  seemed  to  trouble  him,  and  his  mother 
told  me  he  would  frequently  say  he  would  not 
trouble  Mr.  Hooper  any  more.  Some  two  weeks 
after  the  little  boy's  chair  was  vacant,  word 
came  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  that 
Eugene  was  dying  and  wanted  to  see  his  teacher. 

I  hastened  down  to  the  sick  room,  and  as  I  sat 
on  that  bedside  and  looked  into  that  beautiful 
face,  his  eyes  seemed  to  be  lighted  up  with 
heavenly  light.  I  had  never  seen  them  so  bright 
before.  Some  one  said,  he  is  penetrating  the 
veil ;  he  is  looking  into  the  beautiful  kingdom. 
I  said  to  myself,  my  dear  boy,  I  never  struck 
you  a  blow.  I  never  spoke  an  ill-natured  word 
to  you.  I  shall  meet  you  before  the  Great 
White  Throne! 

As  I  sat  at  my  table  in  the  school-room  at 
Baldwinsville  at  the  beginning  of  the  noon  hour, 
a  young  girl  in  passing  out  to  go  to  her  dinner 
said  to  me,  ' '  Mr.  Hooper,  I  am  afraid  I  shall 
not  be  at  school  this  afternoon,  as  I  am  not 
f eeling  well. ' '  I  said,  ' '  Louise,  I  have  noticed 
that  you  do  not  feel  well.  Is  you  school  work 
troubling  you?"  She  said,  "No,  I  think  I 
will  be  back  to-morrow. ' '  In  three  days  Louise 
died  and  we  laid  her  beautiful  form  in  the  flower- 
lined  grave  in  the  cemetery  beside  the  Seneca. 

Fellow  teacher,  have  you  ever  missed  a  dearly 
loved  pupil  from  your  school-room  ?  Did  you 
think  as  you  went  back  and  saw  the  vacant  seat, 


80          RESPONSIBILITY  OF  THE  TEACHER 

that  but  yesterday  you,  with  your  remaining 
pupils,  followed  that  loved  one  to  the  grave  and 
saw  them  cover  him  down  deep  in  the  ground 
with  the  cold  damp  earth  ?  Did  it  make  you  a 
better  man?  A  better  woman  ?  A  better  teacher  ? 
And  now,  kind  readers,  my  task  is  done.  I 
have  tried  so  to  write  up  my  little  history  as 
that  you  would  be  entertained  and  benefited. 
With  my  seventy- two  years  experience  in  life,  I 
find  I  am  inclined  gradually  to  let  go  of  life  here, 
and  take  a  firmer  hold  of  the  life  beyond.  I  am 
contemplating  with  all  the  power  of  my  imagina- 
tion, the  beauty,  the  loveliness,  the  grandeur, 
the  glory  of  that  life, — of  that  home.  And  I 
say  to  myself  sometimes,  Eugene  will  be  there, 
Louise  will  be  there,  hundreds  of  my  pupils  as 
precious  as  they  will  be  there.  She  whom  many 
of  my  readers  knew,  and  who  was  as  precious 
to  me  as  my  own  life,  will  be  there.  All  of  those 
teachers  who  have  been  so  kindly  associated  with 
me  in  the  school-room,  will  be  there.  And  I 
desire  that  my  mansion  be  so  large,  so  broad  in 
its  dimensions,  that  I  may  invite  all  of  these, 
and  all  of  tbe  noble  men  and  women  who  have 
so  earnestly  worked  with  me  in  the  schools  of 
Onondaga  county,  and  all  my  host  of  friends 
everywhere,  to  come  over  and  make  us  a  visit 
in  our  new  and  beautiful  mansion  in  Our  Father's 
House. 


OTHER  STORIES  OF  SCHOOL  LIFE 


-STANDARD  TEACHERS'  LIBRARY,  NO.  8- 


Bardeen's  Koderick  Hume. 

The  Story  of  a  New  York  Teacher.  Pp.  319.  Cloth,  $1.25  ;  manllla,  60 
•cte.  This  is  one  of  the  22  best  books  for  teachers  recommended  by  Chancel- 
lor W.  H.  Payne  in  the  New  England  Journal  of  Education  for  Nov.,  1893.  It 
Is  also  one  of  the  books  described  by  W.  M.  Griswold  in  his  "A  Descriptive 
List  of  Novels  and  Tales  dealing  with  American  Country  Life." 

Roderick  Hume  took  possession  of  me,  and  the  book  was  finished  la  one 
sitting  that  lasted  beyond  the  smallest  hour.  I  have  Joined  the  crowd  in 
your  triumphal  procession.  The  characters  are  as  truly  painted  as  any  In 
Dickens,  and  the  moral  is  something  that  cannot  be  dodged.— Professor 
Edward  North,  Hamilton  College. 

My  confinement  at  home  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  read  it  carefully, 
which  I  have  done  with  great  delight.  I  can  certify  that  it  is  true  to  life. 
I  have  had  experience  in  country  and  village  schools  as  well  as  in  the 
schools  of  the  cities.  The  picture  is  true  for  all  of  them.  I  know  too  well 
how  self-interest,  jealousy,  prejudice,  and  the  whole  host  of  meaner  mo- 
tives are  likely  to  prevail  in  the  management  of  school  affairs  anywhere. 
That  the  people  should  know  this  and  yet  entrust  the  management  of  their 
schools  to  men  who  are  most  likely  to  be  influenced  by  personal  considera 
tions  is  strange  indeed.— My  memory  brings  to  mind  an  original  for  every 
portrait  you  have  drawn.—  Andrew  J.  Rickoff,  former  Sup't  of  Schools,  Cleve- 
land, O. 

Teachers  cannot  fail  to  be  greatly  benefited  by  the  reading  of  the  book. 
Roderick's  address  to  his  pupils  is  a  compendium  of  the  best  points  in  the 
highest  kind  of  school  management.  Miss  Duzenberrie's  victory  and  Vie 
Blarston's  closing  remarks  ought  to  teach  lessons  of  warning  to  many 
teachers  who  are  even  the  most  in  earnest  about  their  work.  Mary  Lowe 
is  a  beautiful  model  of  a  teacher,  and  no  one  will  be  surprised  that  Roder- 
ick should  make  her  his  helpmate  instead  of  his  assistant.  It  is  a  capital 
story,  and  we  recommend  it  strongly  to  every  Canadian  teacher.  Each  one 
should  get  a  copy  for  himself,  as  he  will  wish  to  read  it  more  than  once. 
— Inspector  James  L.  Hughes,  in  Canadian  School  Journal. 

In  the  columns  of  Tlie  Bulletin,  in  1878,  appeared  a  serial  story  which  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  educators  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  It  was  en- 
titled Roderick  Hume,  and  was  professedly  "  the  story  of  a  New  York  teach- 
er." It  was  written  with  the  specific  view  of  portraying  certain  phases  of 
the  modern  graded  school.  The  narrative  was  not  designed  as  a  satire, 
though  a  vein  of  humor  ran  through  it  all ;  nor  was  it  to  be  taken  as  an  au- 
tobiography, though  the  author's  own  experiences  were  more  or  less  inter- 
woven with  it.  The  interest  of  the  story  increased  from  month  to  month, 
and  widely  extended  the  reputation  of  The  School  Bulletin  and  its  editor. 
Letters  received  from  all  parts  of  the  country  revealed,  in  fact,  a  phe- 
nomenal interest  in  its  outcome.  *  *  •  Subsequently  it  appeared  in  book 
form,  and  it  has  since  held  a  unique  place  in  American  literature.—  Th» 
Schoolmaster  in  Comedy  and  Satire,  p.  453. 

C.  W.  B AttDE EN,  Publisher,  Syracuse,  N.  T. 


OPINIONS   OF   RODERICK   HUME 

•'  I  got  Roderick  Hume  yesterday.  I  began  it  in  the  afternoon,  and  fin- 
ished it  at  my  office  last  night  at  10  o'clock.  It  is  just  like  you,  full  of  your 
usual  candor,  fearlessness,  and  humor.  I  haven't  laughed  so  heartily  in  a 
good  while  as  I  did  over  your  book-fight:  and  its  other  characters  are  all 
drawn  ad  unguem.  Send  me  100  copies,  and  the  bill  with  them.  I  want  my 
teachers,  and  directors  too,  to  read  the  most  enjoyable  book  on  education  I 
have  ever  read." — Sup't  H.  C.  Missimer,  Erie,  Pa. 

"  We  have  just  finished  Roderick  Hume  a  story  of  a  New  York  Teacher. 
We  began  after  ten  o'clock  at  night  expecting  to  read  an  hour.  But  the 
story  was  so  life-like,  so  full  of  that  interest  which  comes  from  truth  well 
portrayed,  as  to  chain  us  to  the  end.  This  book  should  be  in  every  library 
in  Arkansas  and  school  children  trained  to  read  it." — Southern  School 
Journal. 

"  I  did  not  want  to  eat  or  sleep  till  I  had  read  it  all.  One  of  my  school 
directors  picked  it  up  from  the  table  and  read  a  page  or  two,  and  although 
he  is  a  man  who  reads  but  little  he  begged  the  loan  of  it  to  read  it  all.  He 
said  it  was  so  applicable  to  the  average  school-board.  I  shall  circulate  it 
through  my  county,  and  hope  to  have  all  my  school  directors  read  it  and 
apply  its  teaching." — Sup't  C.  W.  Foreman,  Meeker,  Colo. 

"  I  took  the  book  up  with  a  cynical  smile,  expecting  to  glance  through 
it  to  satisfy  my  conscience  and  the  friend  who  gave  it,  and  then  to  lay  it 
aside,  mentally  requesting  a  waiting  world  to  be  patient  until  I  should 
write  the  book  of  our  business.  But,  alas!  and  alack!  I  don't  think  I  will 
write  it.  I  was  surprised,  pleased,  entertained,  and  ashamed  that  1  had  not 
read  it  before.  You  certainly  know  teachers,  and  have  given  a  sensible 
man  excellent  food  for  reflection.  Those  of  us  who  know  enough  already, 
of  course  to  us,  it  can  make  little  difference.  I  acknowledge  that  I  stick  in. 
Vanity  Fair  and  read  Sentimental  Tommy  without  a  smile  or  a  tear,  present 
or  remotely  prospective,  but  I  revelled  in  Roderick  Hume  and  shall  read  it 
again." — 8.  B.  Gilhuly,  Principal  Reading  Academy,  Flemington,  N.  J. 

"  This  is  a  novel,  as  the  name  might  indicate,  and  it  possesses  the  novelty 
of  having  school  people,  teachers,  pupils,  and  members  of  boards  for  its 
leading  characters.  Even  the  much-maligned  school-book  agent  is  not  left 
out.  The  action  and  interest  of  the  story  centre  in  and  around  the  schools 
of  a  New  York  town,  whose  superintendent  and  lady  principal  are  hero 
and  heroine,  and  who,  like  all  other  sensible  heroes  and  heroines,  fall  in 
love  with  each  other  and  finally  succeed  after  great  difficulty  in  getting 
married,  or  at  least  impressing  the  reader  that  they  will  get  married.  It  is 
a  mighty  good  story,  but  its  chief  merit  lies  in  the  fact  that  under  the  guise 
of  a  novel  the  author  shows  up  many  of  the  weaknesses  of  our  public  school 
system,  the  foibles  of  teachers,  the  schemes  of  text-book  agents,  how  poli- 
tics and  religion  are  used  to  hamper  and  hinder  the  progress  of  the  schools, 
etc.,  etc.  It  is  fiction  with  a  purpose,  and  a  good  purpose  too.  The  writer 
of  this  'article  picked  up  the  book  one  evening  and  became  so  interested 
that  he  could  not  lay  it  aside  until  finished.  Every  teacher  ought  to  get  it, 
and  read  and  re-read  it."— School  Record. 


•STANDARD  TEACHERS'  LIBRARY,  Xo.  63- 


Commissioner  Hume 

"  Mr.  Bardeen  is  a  born  story-teller,  and  his  Commissioner  Hume,  a  story 
of  New  York  schools,  abounds  in  pathos,  humor,  and  fidelity  to  human 
nature.  As  a  type  this  story  ought  to  be  widely  read,  and  if  every  school 
trustee  in  the  land  could  read,  mark,  learn,  and  inwardly  digest  its  moral, 
pub'.ic  education  in  the  United  States  would  receive  a  mighty  uplift.  De- 
spite the  fact  that  it  is  a  story  with  a  moral,  it  is  intensely  interesting  from 
the  first  page  to  the  last.  Gottlieb  Krottenthaler  is  a  character  that  ought 
to  live."— Educational  Review." 

"  This  timely  little  book  is  a  decided  addition  to  our  historical  literature. 
The  author  portrays  the  inner  workings  of  early  New  York  schools  in  a 
book  as  readable  as  any  novel.  Special  stress  seems  to  be  laid  upon  the 
power  of  political  intriguers  to  dispense  school  patronage  among  the  high- 
est bidders.  Even  the  press  is  attacked  as  not  always  being  that  champion 
of  higher  education  one  would  expect  it  to  be.  Self-interest,  jealousy, 
prejudice,  and  the  whole  host  of  meaner  motives  that  prevailed  in  the  man- 
agement of  school  affairs  were  gradually  rendered  of  small  consequence  as- 
a  result  of  the  determined  stand  taken  against  them  by  that  marvellous 
man,  Commisioner  Hume.  Truly  no  book  shows  better  the  good  that  one 
man  can  do,  when  all  his  heart  and  soul  are  in  his  work.  There  are  teach- 
ers living  to-day  who  are  the  counterpart  of  the  original  characters  por- 
trayed in  this  work,  who  would  do  well  to  read  and  profit  by  this  delightful 
story.  The  moral  of  the  book  cannot  be  dodged."— Philadelphia  Teacher. 

'•  It  is  a  story  of  New  York  country  and  village  schools  and  county  school 
administration  in  1875.  Since,  however,  human  nature  and  school  nature 
in  New  York  does  not  differ  much  from  those  of  her  Southern  sisters,  and 
since  the  ways  of  the  wily  politician  of  1899  are  pretty  much  the  same  as- 
those  of  1875,  there  is  scarcely  an  incident  in  the  story  that  might  not  have 
been  taken  almost  literally  from  the  history  of  school  affairs  in  Florida  last 
year,  and  it  is  a  safe  assertion  to  make  that  there  is  not  a  teacher  of  any 
considerable  experience  in  the  State  but  is  more  or  less  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  every  character  in  the  book  from  '  Mute  Herring  '  and  '  Silas 
Jones  '  to  '  Prof.  Slack  '  and  '  Mrs.  Arabella .'  As  a  piece  of  fiction,  sim- 
ply, it  is  a  work  of  art  and  absorbingly  interesting  to  the  general  reader;  but 
it  is  as  a  satire,  keen  and  relentless,  on  the  prevalent  evils  affecting  school 
management  and  administration  that  it  finds  its  highest  value.  It  is  a 
strong  and  wholesome  book  and  should  have  a  prominent  place  in  every 
teacher's  library  and  on  every  school  official's  desk.  It  contains  more  prac- 
tical suggestions  and  hints  of  value  to  the  ordinary  teacher  than  any  half 
dozen  works  on  'methods'  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  There's  laugh- 
ter, tears,  instruction  and  warning  in  abundance  in  it,  and  few  will  take  it- 
up  but  like  the  writer  hereof  will  hurry  on  to  finish  it  at  a  single  sitting, 
but  not  so  fast,  however,  that  he  will  not  leave  on  almostevery  page  some  pas- 
sages pencil-marked  for  future  study  and  use."— Florida  School  Exponent. 

1 61110,  pp.  210.    Manilla  5O  eta.;   Cloth  81.OO 


OPINIONS   OF   COMMISSIONER   HUME 

"  We  believe  that  the  conditions  it  represents  have  been  bettered  by  more 
enlightened  educational  methods,  but  politics  are  still  sufficiently  mixed 
with  school  questions  for  us  to  relish  Roderick  Hume's  experiences  in  gain- 
ing his  election  as  school  commissioner,  and  the  original  methods  he  adopted 
in  his  desire  to  find  out  the  real  character  and  efficiency  of  the  schools  and 
teachers  under  his  care."—  The  Literary  World. 

"  The  features  that  distinguished  the  earlier  book  are  present  in  this  one, 
and  the  picture  it  contains  of  the  rural  schools  of  New  York  twenty  years 
ago  is  valuable  as  well  as  interesting.  The  author's  quiet  humor,  long  ex- 
perience, and  sound  sense  make  this  little  volume  well  worth  reading." — 
Popular  Educator. 

"  Commissioner  Hume,  a  story  of  rural  New  York  school  life  in  the 
seventies,  is  a  book  that  will  greatly  interest  teachers.  We  know  of  no 
work  that  does  more  to  point  out  the  evils  of  partisan  politics  in  matters 
educational.  It  is  a  book  one  lays  down  with  reluctance  and  resumes  with 
avidity.  It  is  a  capital  work." — Cincinnati  Public  School  Journal. 

"A  unique  story,  containing  not  only  wit,  humor,  instruction,  and  enter- 
tainment to  the  reader,  but  considerable  educational  history.  The  charac- 
ters are  all  well  drawn  and  represent  true  life.  The  story  is  of  special 
interest  to  the  teacher,  as  it  gives  many  points  in  the  highest  kind  of  school 
management." — American  School  Board  Journal. 

"  The  story  shows  us  rural  New  York  in  1875,  and  especially  its  ideas  and 
practices  in  education.  It  describes  the  methods  of  newspapers,  politi- 
cians, ministers,  and  book  agents  at  that  time,  and  as  an  illustration  of  the 
schools  and  methods  of  teaching  it  is  of  rare  interest.  The  school  com- 
missioner who  visits  the  country  schools  in  the  disguise  of  an  ignorant 
German  pedler  sees  startling  conditions  of  ignorance,  carelessness,  and 
vice.  *  *  *  Examinations  for  teachers  were  unheard  of,  and  certificates 
to  teachers  were  given  by  caprice.  In  no  more  convincing  and  entertain- 
ing way  can  one  learn  about  rural  schools  of  that  day  than  in  this  story, 
and  we  are  very  glad  that  Mr.  Bardeen  has  reprinted  it." — N.  E.  Journal  of 
Education. 

"  Mr.  Bardeen  certainly  knows  all  about  the  failings  of  our  present 
school  commissioner  system  and  he  has  written  a  story  that  is  replete  with 
many  truthful  comments.  The  story  in  many  particulars  is  highly  amus- 
ing, particularly  those  chapters  leading  from  the  preliminaries  to  the  nom- 
inating convention  through  the  candidate's  experience's  in  the  campaign 
for  election.  But  it  is  quite  true  to  nature  and  we  know  it  is  almost  an  exact 
reproduction  of  the  experiences  of  numberless  candidates  for  school  com- 
missioner throughout  the  State.  Mr.  Bardeeu's  commissioner  in  the  con- 
cluding chapters  of  the  story  is  disguised  as  a  German  pedler  who  knows 
more  about  good  school  methods  than  various  teachers  of  the  commissioner 
district.  Mr.  Bardeen  has  so  completely  disguised  the  character  that  the 
reader  wonders  what  has  become  of  Commissioner  Hume  till  the  last  chap-, 
ter  is  reached.  The  book  is  something  of  a  severe  but  clever  satire  of  the 
state  school  commissioner  question  and  may  do  a  lot  of  good  toward  inu 
proving  present  conditions.  One  thing  is  sure,  however,  and  that  is  that  it 
is  a  very  readable  story."— Schenectady  Union. 


•  THE  STANDARD  TEACHERS'  LIBRARY,  No.  61.- 


Nicholas  Comenius. 

As  Roderick  Hume  is  a  picture  of  the  New  York  school  principal  of 
1870,  so  Nicholas  Comenius  is  a  picture  of  the  Pennsylvania  schoolmaster 
of  1860,  when  new  ideas  of  educational  methods  began  to  come  into  conflict 
with  the  old.  It  is  a  vivid  portrayal  of  the  schools,  the  teachers  and  school- 
officers,  the  institutes,  the  book-agents,  and  all  the  educational  features  of 
that  period,  and  deserves  a  place  in  every  collection  of  books  on  education, 
From  the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  Daniel  H.  Hastings. 

"  For  the  last  few  nights  the  disturbances  in  Luzerne  county  have  com- 
pelled me,  together  with  General  Snowden,  Adjutant  General  Stewart,  and 
the  Attorney  General,  to  be  in  almost  constant  communication  with  our 
troops  at  Hazleton;  and  while  sitting  about  the  telephone  and  telegraph 
for  two  nights,  the  intervals  have  been  occupied  in  reading  'Nicholas 
Comenius.'  During  that  time  I  read  every  chapter  aloud  to  my  comrades, 
and  we  unanimously  agreed  that  I  should  write  you  this  letter  of  thanks 
for  such  an  interesting  and  delightful  contribution  to  our  Pennsylvania 
literature.  I  have  always  thought  the  '  Vicar  of  Wakefleld  '  the  most 
charming  book  in  our  language.  I  now  think  your  book  comes  very  close 
to  it." 

From  the  State  Superintendent  of  Pennsylvania,  N.  C.  Schaeffer. 

"  Many  books  are  made  of  nothing  and  for  nothing  and  get  nowhere. 
The  book  here  presented  is  not  of  that  class.  In  my  judgment  it  is  a  valu- 
able contribution  to  our  educational  literature.  .  .  .  The  author  of  Nicholas 
Comenius  deserves  the  special  gratitude  of  those  who  feel  an  interest  in 
rescuing  from  oblivion  the  factors  that  gave  us  our  beneficent  system  of 
Common  Schools." 

From  the  Deputy  State  Superintendent  of  Pennsylvania,  Henry  Houck. 

"  Nicholas  Comenius  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  books  I  ever  read. 
It  is  written  in  charming  style,  eloquent  and  tender  in  the  tribute  it  pays  to 
the  pioneers  in  the  cause  of  education,  and  yet  full  of  encouragement  and 
inspiration  for  every  teacher.  This  book  should  be  in  every  library  and 
every  home." 

From  the  School  Gazette,  Harrisburg,  Pa, 

"  Nicholas  Comenius,  or  Ye  Pennsylvania  Schoolmaster  of  Ye  Olden 
Time,  by  William  Riddle,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.,  is  the  latest  addition  to  educa- 
tional fiction.  While  it  is  being  sold  with  such  books  as  the  Hoosier  School- 
master and  Roderick  Hume,  it  is  being  compared  to  the  Vicar  of  Wakefleld 
and  to  the  schoolmaster  of  Drumtochty  in  the  Bonnie  Brier  Bush.  .  .  .  The 
volume  has  in  it  wit,  humor,  instruction  and  entertainment.  Its  illustra- 
tions are  as  expressive  as  those  of  an  illustrated  volume  of  Dickens,  and 
there  is  as  much  flavor  in  it  as  in  Roderick  Hume,  and  as  much  substance 
us  in  the  Evolution  of  Dodd." 

Kimo,  pp.  492  ;  42  Illustrations.    Manilla  50  cts;  Cloth,  $1.50. 

C.  W.  BARDEEN,  Publisher,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


OPINIONS    OF    NICHOLAS   COMENIUS 
From   County  Superintendent  M.  J.  Brecht. 

"The  book  is  written  in  the  form  of  a  story  and  through  the  medium 
of  a  strong  caste  of  characters — some  historical  and  others  of  the  author's 
own  creation,  but  typical  of  the  period  in  which  they  lived — it  pictures 
reminiscences,  narrates  incidents,  describes  events,  and  delineates  condi- 
tions of  the  fight  for  Free  Schools  in  Pennsylvania  that  should  be  read  and 
read  again  by  every  one  who  is  interested  in  the  growth  and  expansion  of 
our  Common  School  system.  While  the  work  is  largely  historical,  giving 
the  reader  clear  and  well-defined  views  of  the  great  epochs  which  work  the 
transitional  stages  in  the  evolution  of  our  school  system,  the  author  carries 
forward  in  a  parallel  line  with  the  historical  past,  a  series  of  sage  pedagogical 
comments  that  are  radiant  with  good  sense,  and  are  sure  to  give  the  book  a 
rating  among  the  world's  works  upon  pedagogical  literature.  The  teacher 
will  find  its  pages  suggestive  of  much  that  will  come  directly  into  play  in 
solving  the  daily  issues  of  the  school  room,  and  suggestive  of  more  upon 
broad  professional  lines  that  will  enrich  his  knowledge  of  child-nature  and 
psychology,  enlarge  his  sense  of  personal  responsibility  to  his  profession, 
and  inspire  him  to  read  up  with  some  degree  of  enthusiasm  and  purpose 
the  history  and  science  of  education.  In  my  judgment,  every  teacher 
should  make  it  a  point  to  read  the  book." 

From  Superintendent  Edward  Brooks,  Philadelphia. 

"  The  book  is  unique,  and  without  a  parallel  in  educational  literature. 
One  begins  to  read  it  with  surprise  and  a  feeling  of  wonder  to  know  the 
exact  purpose  of  the  author;  but  after  reading  a  chapter  or  two  he  catches 
the  drift  of  the  work  and  begins  to  enjoy  it.  Beneath  the  stream  of  grave  and 
dignified  humor,  there  will  be  found  many  interesting  historic  facts  and 
much  suggestive  thought  in  respect  to  educational  doctrine  and  practice. 
The  work  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  educational  literature,  and  no  edu- 
cational library  may  be  regarded  as  complete  without  a  copy  of  it.  I  have 
placed  Nicholas  Comenius  in  the  Pedagogical  Library  belonging  to  the 
Department  of  Superintendence." 

From  Superintendent  R.  L.  Edwards,  Portland,  Oregon. 

"  After  the  receipt  of  your  book,  for  which  find  enclosed  $1.50,  I  opened 
np  a  subscription  list  and  have  so  far  twenty-two  signatures.    If  you  will 
send  me  forty  copies  I  will  take  pleasure  in  placing  them." 
From  the  Harrisburg  Telegraph. 

"  Mr.  Riddle  has  made  a  departure  on  a  new  line  which  promises  to  be 
a  success.  There  is  not  a  dull  chapter  in  the  book.  The  one  devoted  to  the 
history  of  the  free  school  fight  throws  bright  light  on  those  days  and  in- 
creases our  admiration  for  the  great  men  who  did  that  pioneer  work.  .  .  . 
The  characters  are  all  marked  personalities,  and  the  author  makes  them 
live — we  feel  acquainted  with  them,  and  are  sorry  to  bid  them  good-bye. 
The  book  is  just  out  of  press,  and  the  few  who  have  had  the  chance  to  read 
it  are  unanimous  in  its  praise.  Teachers  especially  will  find  both  enter- 
tainment and  instructive  suggestion  in  its  pages.  We  can  recommend  it 
unreservedly  to  all  readers,  especially  to  those  who  are  connected  with 
educational  work." 


-THE  SCHOOL  BULLETIN  PUBLICATION- 


Anecdotes  and  Humors  of  School  Life 

No  department  of  human  employment  or  effort,  perhaps,  is  more  rich 
in  anecdote  and  incident  than  the  school-room,  and  in  none  certainly  can 
judiciously  chosen  illustrations  be  more  effectively  used.  The  present 
volume  by  a  well-known  Pennsylvania  superintendent,  Aaron  Sheely,  is 
therefore  offered  to  teachers  and  students  in  the  hope  that  its  many  illus- 
trative examples  may  be  useful  in  helping  to  enforce  and  impress  the  daily 
lessons  of  the  school-room,  and  as  a  respite  from  severe  school  work. 

Many  teachers  have  found  it  an  admirable  exercise  to  read  a  short  story, 
like  many  of  those  here  given,  and  ask  for  comments  on  the  part  of  the 
.school.  To  give  a  single  illustration,  a  teacher  read  to  a  grammar  grade 
the  story  of  '•  Diluted  Milk  ",  on  page  90. 

"  Now,  children,"  she  said,  as  a  smile  passed  around,  "  what  is  the  point 
of  this  story  ?" 

"  Please  Miss ,'^said  a  little  girl  eagerly,  "  I  think  it  is  that  if  you 

cheat  you  are  sure  to  get  caught." 

"  I  think  the  point  lies  in  the  '  sagacious ',"  suggested  one  of  the  boys. 

"How  is  that?" 

"  Why,  he  asked  about  whether  it  was  warm  water  or  cold,  as  if  there 
wasn't  any  doubt  that  it  was  water  of  some  kind,  and  so  the  carrier-boy 
answered  before  he  thought." 

Thus  the  conversation  went  on  for  ten  minutes,  branching  off  on 
whether  college-boys  would  like  to  live  that  way  now,  whether  the  hard  life 
"  some  of  them  used  to  live  made  them  better  scholars,  whether  education 
was  worth  so  much  sacrifice,  whether  "devour"  was  a  wholly  proper  word 
to  use  of  eating  bread  and  milk,  and  so  on.  Perhaps  no  class-exercise  of 
the  day  was  more  thoroughly  profitable. 

"  The  collection  is  singularly  rich  and  varied,  and  the  volume  is  a 
worthy  contribution  to  the  literature  of  anecdote." — N.  T.  Evening  Post. 

"Here  we  have  brief  incident,  lively  anecdote,  and  the  flash  of  wit  in 
keen  repartee.  The  articles  are  of  necessity  brief,  varying  in  length  from 
4  few  lines  to  one  or  two  pages.  The  reader  familiar  with  books  and  cur- 
rent literature  will  find  many  things  that  he  has  seen  before,  but,  we  think, 
still  more  that  he  has  never  seen.  He  will  probably  sit  down,  as  the  writer 
has  done,  turning  the  leaves  and  laughing  over  old  things  and  new,  until— 
to  his  surprise— the  evening  is  gone.  This  compilation — which  is  the  only 
one  of  its  kind  we  know  of — is  worthy  a  favorite  place  in  the  library  of  the 
teacher,  or  the  general  reader."— Pennsylvania  School  Journal. 

"  This  collection  of  anecdotes,  grave,  humorous,  and  witty,  is  the  most 
complete  and  interesting  compilation  of  its  kind  it  has  ever  been  our  good 
fortune  to  examine.  Mr.  Sheely,  with  rare  good  taste,  has  selected  some 
of  the  most  side-splitting  stories  we  have  ever  read,  interspersed  with  many 
of  a  more  serious  turn,  so  that  both  teacher  and  scholar  may  find  profit  and 
amusement  in  this  volume.  A  strong,  healthful  moral  tone  prevades  it,  and 
it  affords  pleasant  recreation  for  leisure  moments."— Ben tley's  Book  Buyer. 
Cloth,  12mo.,  pp.  3SO.  S1.5O 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


JUN  3  0  1959  SL 

APR  2  9  1965 
uOM 


BJECT  TO  FINE  IF 

EDUCATION 


N(1)T  RETURNED  TC 

L13RARY 


Form  L9-50m-7,'54(5990)444 


TETE  LIBRART 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  AIN'GELES 


UCLA-ED/PSYCH  Library 

LA  2317  H7A2 


Education 
Library 

Ll 

2317 
H7A2 


A  000  959  230  4 


